Growing up Halliwell
by debbydo0dles45
Summary: Sequel to Changes. A now teenage Paige has to face the facts of her life and deal with the burden of growing up. Can and will she survive the summer? OFF HIATUS for now
1. Chapter 1

Oh Em Gee could it be a sequel? Indeed it is my friends. If you read Changes it picks up right where we left off. If you didnt read Changes, I strongly suggest you do or else youll be totally lost. For those who didnt like what i did with Changes sorry to the max. Well Ive said my piece so lets get this show on the road. Alrighty?

Disclaimer: I own absoloutly nothing. Sad, isn't it?

**Oh and Paige's POV! Until I change my mind.**

Today's the big day! I realize as my eyes flicker open. We, all three of my sisters and I, are going up to elders to propose my ingenius plan that will set my sisters back five years in age so it won't be as weird for me, being seventeen and all again. I have to say Im thankful.

The past week or so has been mostly Prue stressing about the whole situation. And believe me, sitting at home all by yourself with a neurotic older sister with nowhere to go should be a form of torture. Its also involved sisterly pressure to grieve for my past. Well, what if I dont want to? Im just trying to move on. Is that so hard for them to accept?

I'll admit i'm partially tuning my emotions out. But Im good at that. It worked pretty well after my adoptive parents died. Provided I developed a severe case of alchoholism and needed much therapy.. you know what? Maybe I shouldn't just tune them out. I know conciously I should be feeling, agonizing, and yet I can't bring myself too. Its not even like I don't want too half the time. When you've got three pushy, obnoxious older sisters on your back who want you to be this fragile, broken person and will only leave alone when you sob for days, its definately an ideal. I just don't feel the pain though. Its not there.

Maybe it has to do with my past being a fuzzy mess. I know what happened to me, but none of the traumatic stuff is always on my mind like it apparently should be. I told Piper this, she gets me best, and her bet is that certain things will trigger detailed memories as time goes on, I won't even have any control over it. You know what I think? That Piper's right. She is alot of the time, unlike Prue who is never right but thinks she is. Im sure not looking forward to these flashes though.

Is it obvious Im a little bit angry with Prue? I shouldnt be. Shes been there for me through this whole process and I know I could talk to her if I wanted too. She just pisses me off lately. For no reason at all. Sometimes when she even is just in the same room as me and minds her own business i want to punch her. Its probably because she wants to be the boss of me and tell me what to do and im just a rebellious, angsty bitch. Poor Prue. Im still gonna be this way for a while.

Suddenly it occurs to me. Why the hell, excuse me heck, my replacement mother Prudence has told me im not to curse in her house because its a sign of disrespect and stupidity( when I told her that was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard she gave me the whole, well Im going to be your legal guardian and when you turn eighteen you can defy me and so on speech) am I still sitting in my bed? I should be up and about annoying sisters and pestering them to hurry up so we can get this show on the road. Times a wasting Paigey girl.

Oh! I did I mention I got my room back? Im so happy I dont have to live in that smelly old guestroom anymore. Prue can have it. In fact, my room is almost back to normal. Except for the barbies, and toys, and rocking chair still in the corner because there is no place else to put it around here. Oh and then theres Slappy. He still sleeps with me. Ive gotta admit I love that doll. Now that my sisters have given him back, I dont think he'll be banished back to the sock drawer for a while. This regression doesnt come without teasing though. My dumb sisters think it is the most entertaining thing ever to bother me about how I sleep with a doll. Well, I dont care. Okay, so thats a lie, but I never said I was honest.

As I enter the hallway I am struck by the ever so pressing dilemma as to who I should wake up first. Oldest to youngest sounds good. Prues room is closest to mine too. Oh yipee I know.

Rudely, I swing open the door and cry out her name, just to make her all flustered. She shoots up, as so expected.

" Paige, honey, whats the matter? Did you have a nightmare. Here, come here, I'll make it okay"

See what I mean? How up in my business is this girl. Geez.

" No Prue. Im fine" I say sweetly. And this is all I say.

" Okay good." She replies staring at me all dishelveled with her hair sticking up and squinty eyes. " So whatsup?"

" We have to go now!" I insist very vaguely rushing to her side and pulling her up. " Cmon, Cmon"

" Oh right." She says rubbing her eyes as she is forced into a standing position. " The moment of truth has finally come" She jokes with a smile.

I hate when she smiles at me like im a little kid.

" Well, get a move on then Prue. Its only you here whos getting younger. Im not." I reply as I shove her towards the door.

" Gee Paigey for such a shrimp you're awfully strong" She teases.

" Don't make fun of me." I pout childlishly. Its probably my fault I get babied by them in the first place.

She kisses me tenderly on the head. " Kiddo, I know you want to annoy me but its not working. Ive dealt with two little sisters and I know the schtick. Now, I know you want my complete attention, and you can have it later. For now why don't you leave while I get dressed, which by the way is something you should do too-" She pauses to stare at my very nice elmo pajamas that I just bought the other day " and go wake up you're other two older sisters. Piper will make a nice breakfast and Phoebe can be your doting victim for the day. Deal?"

I just stare at her with a look of pure innocence on my face and she shoves me out of her room. I resent she thinks I seek attention.

Piper, not suprisingly is already up and downstaris and so is Leo, who is now back for who knows how long. I dont think its fair Piper has a fly by night husband but if they're happy...

Phoebe is up too. Maybe I was Prue and I were a little loud. I know Prue is loud, and since I take after her I most likely am too. I force Pheebs to help me pick out an outfit and stick by her side until breakfast. We walk into the kitchen where I half hear Piper and Prue discussing why Im so clingy. Im not clingy. They think its because Im afraid to be alone. Which isnt true either. At least I dont think it is.

I sit next to Prue where my rightful seat at the breakfast table is. We have a funny relationship the two of us. I can't stand to be around her half the time, but in the same way I cant help but want to be just like her. Its like I thrive on her approval, which is scary. Im still a smidge new to this whole sister thing, but my guess is that its just part of the whole oldest sister/youngest sister dynamic.

I love my sisters. They couldnt be more tolerant of me, a messed up crazy teenager. I wonder if itll be the same when Prue is 25, Pipe is 22, and Pheebs is 20. Itll be okay I guess. I hope they aren't too much different.

As I finally grasp hands with my sisters, to orb off and start our new future, I become more nervous then I ever have been in my whole entire life.

I may not be as perceptive as Phoebe, but I know this is not a good sign.

**And this dudes, is the beginning of another Paige centered fic. Read and Review or else It might casually slip my mind to update. : P**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews one and all. You know i appreciate them.Yeah, no Wyatt and Chris. Maybe later. Well here's chapter 2. Hope you enjoy.**

**Paige's POV**

"Ah if it isn't the sisters Halliwell" some random elder drones in this horrible monotone as we rematterialize Up There. Ew. I want to strangle him already. How will I ever survive this meeting?

" Hello Remus" Prue greets in return extending her hand politely as Phoebe and Piper follow suit with identical methods

I however, am still just staring at him, rather the epiphany of rudeness.

Prue nudges me. " Say hello Paige"

Shaken out of my trance, I twitch a bit, still not totally with the program

"Paige?" She repeats in a pressing tone

" Huh what? Oh. Hi." I finally say just putting up my hand, to gesture hello, instead of being formal like my sisters.

" Its nice to see you all" Remus says again in that stupid annoying voice of his. Someone save me, please.

" If you would all follow me, I believe we have some things to discuss in a more private setting. Stay close, its easy to get lost up here."

And so we follow him. Behind his back, Prue gives me a look and I shrug before ignoring her. This meeting is so not going well.

He leads us into some sort of conference room, and its pretty normal looking, if you don't factor in the fact that everything is made out of clouds. Ive always been rather fond of clouds. Once we are all settled, its crunch time.

" Now girls, I understand you wish for us to set your ages back a considerable sum of years, yes?"

We nod. Um duh.

" What are your reasons behind this request?"

Geez what are we on _Law & Order_ or something?

" Well," Prue begins calmly. I guess she's used to the conference environment. " As you know, our youngest sister Paige recently underwent, some pretty serious events, which eventually led to a regression of five years in her age. We feel, she has been through enough without us, and that if we remain so much older than her it will only further this separation between us. So, we are asking you to also set us back five years in age to relevel the playing field. " Prue finally concludes

Someone is awfully a control freak. Oh well. Ill just sit back and be the kid for a while. Its better Prue takes control of the situation anyway. Its more peaceful that way. Besides, Im not very articulate anyway.

" Now Prudence, you do realize what you are asking us to do, don't you? Its going to take quite a large deal of magic. We will have to make everyone forget you were ever over you're new ages, while still keeping you as essentially the same individuals you are now. We can do it, but it will be a trying task."

" the question is will you?" Prue retorts

He looks at me and I immediatly flash him a puppy dog face, which softens him in return. Gosh, if its these guys that are supposed to be protecting us, we are all doomed.

" Well, you are the charmed ones...very well. There are other matters to work out though."

"like what?" We all say at once

" Well for one thing, Paige you are a minor which means you will need a legal guardian. Are any of you willing to take on this task?"

I feel a huge sensation of dread. None of my sisters want me that badly to take on such a responsibility, even though Prue said she would a while back. Im shocked as all three of them say they are willing too.

Guess who wins?

Pruedence Halliwell, soon to be age 25, is now officially my legal guardian.

Its occurs to me, shes the thrid one Ive had. First my biological mom and sam, then my adoptive parents, and now her. Im not very lucky in the "parent" department I guess.

Remus drones on in a speech about how as a MM (magical minor) I will not be held responsible by the elders for my acts of personal gain, but Prue will be. Its her job to make sure I respect my magic and do not abuse it. Or it will be her who will be facing some charges. I didn't know you could face magical charges!

Apparently you can. Theres a magic jail, a magic court, and if you really screw up, they recycle your soul. Talk about being out of the loop.

Then Remus lectures me, personally.

"Paige, Prue is your eldest sister and I expect you to treat her with utmost respect. Treat as you would your own mother, because thats essentially what she is, and has been to you. I do not want to hear of you acting out of behaving in a disgraceful fashion. Alright?"

' Yessir" I mumble

" The same goes for Piper and Phoebe. Don't make us regret this decision, young lady."

I nod some more. I beginning to see why piper isn't so fond of the elders.

" Very well then. Paige stay here, and be good. Ill return your sisters to you shortly. Come with me ladies," He says escorting them from the room.

While they are gone, which seems like a very long time, I just kind of sit and enjoy being alone for a bit. I don't really have a right to privacy as the youngest. Maybe thet'll change..

Fat chance.

The minutes pass , and my teenage mind gets uincreaingly restless. Ive always wondered what clouds taste like..It wouldn't hurt to try a little bite would it?

I sink my teeth into the cloud chair im sitting in, just as I hear the door open.

I look up, my teeth still attached to the furniture, and I am stricken by the presence of my young sisters**( envision their season2/3 selves)**

Well, its no secret which sister came from the lower end of the gene pool. Great.

**Well that was Chapter 2. I know you'll review because you love me!- Debz**


	3. Chapter 3

**OMG! its ch. 3! yay**

**Paige's POV, like you didnt already know ; )**

My sisters stare at me like the freak I am, and I feel a lump form in my throat. I don't want things to be different. I feel so insecure around my sisters now. I barely recognize them.

They collect me, with one last thank you to Remus, and I orb us off back home. As we reappear in the manor's foyer I solitary sob escapes me, and I run up to my room, partially embarressed, and partially confused about how upset I am. I got what I wanted didn't I? Life is so confusing. Maybe Im just pissed because I've discovered how gross I look. I need a huge makeover. Anyway, I guess part of me thinks that my sisters won't love me anymore. I don't know why. Its just a feeling. But maybe because they are so young, and beautiful now, they'll forget all about me, the misfit who lives down the hall. I know , that completely irration-

My thoughts are cut off by the opening of my door and the appearance of three sisters around me, where I am huddled beneath my covers, listening to my CD player pretending I dont exist. They throw my balnkets off me, and rip away my music. They demand to know whats wrong.

So I tell them. I shrug. Because I really don't know whats wrong.

Phoebe wipes away the tears from my eyes that I didn't know were there using her thumb, and it makes me want to cry some more. How could I ever think they wouldn't love me?

I reach up and hug her while giving an apology, because I have no clue whats up with me.

" Thats okay Paigey" Phoebe says earnestly while my eldest sisters exchange knowing glances.

" What? What do you guys know!" I cry out, literally as insecurity causes more tears to spill out of my already red and squinty eyes.

They smirk some more at each other. Grrr.

" Tell me" I wail as Phoebe again tries to calm me down. I fall into her embrace. Boy, am I a wreck all of the sudden.

" Relax Paige Honey." Prue finally says realizing just how upset I am, even though I have no reason to be. " You're just PMSing"

" What!" I shout through gritted teeth.

" Its about time too" Phoebe butts in. Okay so much for her being on my good side.

" How come I didn't know this!" I ask

" Well, naturally sweetie it is your first time." Piper explains

:" No it is not!" I argue " Im 22. Ive had my period for years and years and years. I haven't had PMS really badly since I was a teen!"

" Um no Paige. You're 17 now remember? Or did you have a memory lapse? Piper is 22 now" Prue says all matter-of factly

My lower lip trembles, and I imagine what horrible little girl crying chin I've got right now.

" Oh Paige. Please this is what you wanted." Piper tries

I just frown. How can I tell them that Im worried that things will be really different now? Maybe I'll just keep it to myself. As usual. I take a deep breath to relax myself and then say " You're right. I'm sorry. Can I just be alone for awhile?"

They smile. " If thats's what you want Paige" Prue says ruffling my hair. And then they all exit the room.

Alone once again. Woopdeefuckindoo.

I decide that sitting around in my room is not going to make things any better. Hopefully, if I get out for awhile ill start to feel better. Its always worth a shot. I get dressed in some stuff Phoebe's lent me, Im a little short on clothes right now. I pick a denim miniskirt, and a plain old pink cami. Nothing too bold i guess. Right now, I just kind of want to blend in. Its only the end of June. Schools not for a while yet. I've got a lot to do to get ready. And hopefully, i'll be able to have some fun too. Maybe even relieve my doubts about this new life with my sisters. it was hard enough getting used to it the first time around. Well, Piper was right. I did ask for this. The whole thing was my idea. Now, i've gotta live with the consequences. If there are any.

Gee doubts no fun.

I brush my slightly curly , but managable hair, actually its getting a bit unruly now. Perhaps its time for a cut? I'm so over these bangs anyway. I look about 9 years old. Maybe I'll just pull it up. Yeah. That sounds good. It looks better already. I put some makeup on. Nothing that'll make Prue yell though. A little bit of eyeliner, some mascara, and actually no cover up. my skin's acting pretty decent. Well, there's a brightside I guess.

I walk downstairs and into the foyer where my big sisters are talking. About me.

" You guys, I'm really worried about Paige. She seems to be upset about something." Phoebe says. Well give the girl a prize. She's observant.

" I know what you mean. And also she's still tuning out her past. Not good at all." Piper tuts. Great we're back on that again. Wonder what Prue has to say.

" I think we need to do what she asked, and leave her alone for a while. It'll hit her eventually, and then we'lll be there for her. Just like always." Prue responds. Wow. Prue? Being Understanding? Shocker of the century.

" Hi guys!" I say cheerfully from behind them. So I want them to notice me. Big deal.

They all swing their heads around and put on overcheerful smiles once they see my face.

" Hi honey How're you feeling?" Prue asks playing with my ponytail

" Better" I smile sweetly. No use in being nasty to them.

' Thats good"

' You look hot!" Phoebe says jokingly and pokes me in the ribs.

" Thanks." I laugh and poke her back.

" Our Paigey is all grown up!" Piper laughs and hugs me. " You really are feeling better aren't you?'

I nod emphatically. " Yeah. I wasn't PMSing I don't think. I just think I was tired is all."

" Whatever you say Paige" Phoebe rolls her eyes. I give her a look.

" Okay!" Piper interjects. " Lets not ruin the moment. We were just considering going out to do some shopping Paige. Do you want to come then?"

' Of course!' I respond. " Im sick of wearing Phoebe's clothes"

" There's nothing wrong with my clothes!" Phoebe retorts

We continue bickering as we are ushered out to the car. Piper and Prue look amused.

" Sibling rivalry. Incurable" Prue comments from the drivers seat as we bother each other in the back seat.

" You said it sister" Piper agrees from the passengers side

" We're not rivals." I say resting my head on Phoebe's shoulder.

" Ew get off me loser. Yes we are!" She responds

" Phoebe" Prue says warningly as I pout. I like being the youngest.

"What? I was only kidding" She says innocently

I still pout

"Well apologize anyway. Why do I feel like Im talking to children?" Prue groans

" Because naturally you are" Piper says

" Hey" Phoebe and I say silmultaneously.

" You'll always be kids to us guys. Forget about it being any different, ever." Prue says

" Wow. How lucky we are." I frown

" You'll get used to it Paige. Don't worry." Phoebe jokes " Except, you have three sisters to bother you"

" Joy." I reply

We finally arrive at the mall and I am super ready to get this shopping business on the road. I need some new junk.

I see a bunch of teenagers walkign around with their friends and sorta feel loserly with my sisters around. They obviously dont feel the same way, all with their arms linked and chatting away like best friends. I wish I had the relationship with them that they have with each other. In time maybe. I thought we were going to have fun today. Their personalities towards me change so fast.

Im sort of trailing behind them, hanging out in Paigeland. I really don't enjoy being ignored. But i'd never let them know that. I look up every so often to make sure they're still around. Funny how they don't do the same once for me, or even like show any want for me to be all sisterly with them. What planet have I landed on?

My punk inner Paige beckons me to Hot Topic and YRB, but I refrain from entering. Its Paige reinvention time. I need preppy clothes. I want to fit in this time around. Abercrombie here I come. Oh wait. I don;t have any money anymore. Prue has all my money. Because she's in charge of me now. Again, great.

I walk up to my eldest sister from behind. We've walked into some dumb shoe store. Im not buying shoes today. I need clothes. _Clothes._

" Excuse me miss. Miss?" I say poking Prue forcefully in the shoulder blade.

"What? Huh?" Prue says turning around " Oh hi Paige. Whats with the whole miss business?"

" Well you certainly don't act like you know me." I say venemously

All three of my dumb sisters exchange apologetic looks.

" Aw we're sorry , Paige." Prue says somewhat sincerely. " We were just catching up some, and thought you'd be okay alone for a while."

"Well you thought wrong. And I'm sorry I intruded into your catching up time. Obviously, I don't need to catch up with any of you at all. I was only gone for a month or two. No need to worry about me at all. Goodbye now." I say angrily trudging out of the store. There are people staring. Stupid people. Don't know anything about my dumb life and my dumb sisters who don't even like me anymore because I'm a teenager. Insincere creeps those sisters of mine.

I wipe away some tears that are in my eyes. But why do they deserve to have me cry over them, hmm? Im sick of crying because of them. I sniffle and discreetly orb Prue's credit card to me inside my pocket. Now its time for some shopping. Unlimited shopping.

I go into some stores, and buy some jeans and a few cute tops. It keeps nagging me though that my sisters haven't come after me yet. Meanies.

I go into delia's and Im looking at some things as I hear Prue frantically calling out my name from outside. Somebody is tapping ,e on the shoulder trying to get my attention, but all of the sudden i am dizzy. Im thrown into a flashback.

_Im being grabbed away as a baby from my sisters arms and am crying hysterically. My own cries burn my ears. Its a demon who has me, and all I know is i'm scared to death. I want my sisters to get me back so badly, for them to save me like they've saved each other so many times before. But they don't. Prue screams aimlessly for me, as I shimmer out in the strange man's arms, numb._

This is the last thing I see before my knees give out and I faint. Right in the middle of a Delia's. This did not just happen.

If i'd known this is what Piper meant by my memories coming back strong and unexpected, I think I would've stayed in bed, and become a hermit for the rest of my life.

Yeah the hermits have got it made.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello all. Im sorry, I know its been a while, but my teachers have been very awful to me lately and decided to actually give me work. I know. Its so unheard of. Anywhoo, now that midterms and such have ended, and I have all new teachers (we get new teachers every half year, I know its strange.) Ive got some time on my hands. So Ive decided to reward you all with a chappie. Much love.

**OmG Paige's POV! I was thinking about returning to 3rd person but i didn't want to do that without asking if it was okay :) Let me know **

I groan as I wake up to the sensation of something cold on my forehead, and squirm in annoyance. I have a migraine headache, and absoloutely no clue what has happened. I realize I am lying down, and try to swat away the foriegn object on my head. I could always open my eyes, but I'm too lazy.

" Go'way" I groan lifting my hand to my head and pushing away what must be a towel.

"Don't do that dear, or else you'll bruise" an unfamiliar voice chastises me. I blink an open my eyes instantly to see who this is doing what is clearly Prue's job. I see a nice looking older lady, wearing scrubs, and realize i must be in some sort of infirmary. Where are my sisters?

" I want my sisters!" I screech lurching upward. " Where are my sisters?" Well, you know what they say, its the squeaky wheel that gets the oil, and yelling certainly wont hurt me.

"Now sweetie, please lie down. They've just gone to bring the car around. Im sure they'll be back in a second." A second is not good enough for Paige Matthews-Halliwell.

" I want my sisters NOW!" I scream loudly, very loudly. As if hearing my cries they waltz into the room just at that moment.

" Chill kid, we were only in the parking lot." Phoebe says with an eyeroll. I would've given her a look, but Prue is by my side before I can even do anything.

" Oh Paige." She says kissing me on the head, and smoothing my hair. " How are you feeling love? I was so worried, I didn't know what had happened to you. "

" Neither do I" I say back honestly

Prue looks at me lovingly. Okay, I guess she felt kinda guilty after the shoe store confrontation, and it does feel kind of nice to be noticed again. " Oh my poor baby." She says " You fainted, and the doctors have no idea why. Are you feeling sick?" She questions putting her hand to my forhead. Boy, is she a worrywart. I raise my eyebrows at Phoebe from over Prue's shoulder. She smiles and shrugs. I guess all younger Halliwells must deal with this sort of treatment after they scare their sisters to near death by fainting or something.

" Im fine" I say " Just a bit dizzy is all."

Prue frowns. "Well you did have quite a fall. Wacked your head smack on the floor. Just so you know I was by your side in a millisecond with Piper and Phoebe, and then we brought you to the emergency room. But now we can check you out, because you are all better." She says hugging me tight. Oh so they took me to the hospital. Fabulous. Paige never gets a moments piece. Im no attention whore. In fact Im the opposite, but with these things that keep happening, Its hard to avoid being the center of everybody's attention.

" Can we go now? Please?" I say wanting to get out as soon as possible. I feel uncomfortable here, in the hospital.

" Whatever you want" Prue says

"Kay good." I say making my move to get up, but become suprisingly dizzy and fall back down. " Shoot." I remark with a huff. I hate being vulnerable as you know.

" Alright. Don't worry Paige. This is what you have three older, and bigger sisters for." Prue says bending down and picking me up, as i think she does way too often me being practically grown and all.

I try to get out of her hold " No Prue. S'really okay. I can walk."

" I don't believe you." She says simply and I look at Piper from her grasp as she carries me out of the room. She shrugs in the same way Phoebe did before, letting me know that this is just the way its going to be, and that i'm just going to have to get used to it. Well, im stubborn, but also way too tired to deal with nonsense. I sigh inwardly and relax in her arms, basking in the safety I havent felt or trusted since I was a baby. Piper smiles at me, and I know what she's thinking. Or feeling actually. Piper can't be happy, unless ther's family unity. Thats apprently the way its always been, so says Phoebe. I guess i've just got to accept my life the way it is. I would've sometime one way or another i guess.

We get to the car, and I am feeling much better already. Aside from the fact Im still pretty angry at my sister's for the way they treated me earlier. I can't help but feel like I just don't belong. I stare out the window absently trying to sort out the various doubts and annoyances flitting through my brain.

"You feeling okay Paige?" Phoebe says from her place next to me in the back seat

"Yup." I say a little more snippity than I guess I should've

" Well sorry. I was just trying to be a good older sister. Pardon me for caring about you Paige." Phoebe snaps

Since when do I fight with Phoebe all the time? To think we used to get along so splendidly. Oh well. Things change. Although I wouldn't have anticipated this one.

" You didn't care before" I retort now facing her

" Girls. Lets not start this again. Please." Prue warns as usual

" No one asked you Prudence" I say without breaking my gaze at Phoebe.

" Im not even going to talk to you Paige. Its worthless trying to communicate with the insane."

" I am not insane Phoebe. If anyone is, you are, thinking I actually like you and all."

" Why would I care if you liked me or not? You are a loserly teenager. I have other friends, unlike you. And I have Cole."

" Well I sincerely hope to be there when you explain to them that you aren't even allowed to drink yet!"

" Niether can you! And at least I could pass, you look like you're 14."

" Stop picking on me then!"

" You started it. What? Did you kill some brain cells when you wacked your head on the floor? You stupider now then before?"

" Being the stupid sister is your job Phoebe."

" Both of you stop it right now!" Piper says not even taking her eyes of the road. " Im sick of your stupid fighting. We're sisters and we're meant to get along. I don't see why you two have such a problem doing so lately. You got along fine before, and just because you're younger now, and obviously more immature than before, doesn't give you the right to treat each other so terribly. I expect better from both of you."

" No especially you Phoebe?" Phoebe says

" No, no especially you Phoebe. Paige needs to hone her sister skills too."

" Yes ma'am." I grumble mock saluting

" I wanna hear some apologies" Piper sing-songs

We groan together

" Sorry Phoebe" I say

"Sorry Paige" she replies

How the hell are we supposed to fight properly when we have overbearing sisters breathing down our necks?

Anyway, it was another wasted day today. Except I got some clothes. But it still doesn't go under the file of best days i've ever had.

Maybe it'll get better. It was only the first day today. This whole adjustment is barely official. It hasn't even been celebrated with the dinner out i expected. Aw well.

Still it'd be nice to be celebrated for once, ya know?

Its dark already. We're back in the driveway. Im not even hungry. I won't eat what Piper cooks.

" Hey Paige, i'm making italian, yay or nay?" Piper asks me shaking me out of my thoughts as we walk up the porch, Prue and Phoebe already inside

" Im not really hungry."

" Oh come on you have to be a little hungry, we didn't even eat lunch."

" I know. I was in the ER how could I forget." I sigh rubbing my temples

" Tired?"

" Yeah"

" You seem a little disappointed too."

" Im not. Everything is just peachy Piper. Fabulous even." I say with sarcasm throwing myself on the couch and turnign on the television.

" Im just going to pretend you have a headache, and aren't being a bitch to all of us,okay? Dinner will be ready in a little while." Piper replies calm as ever running her hands through her hair

" Sure" I say rolling my eyes as a cover. Really inside im feeling sort of crappy. Am i really mean? Do I even care if I am? I think im going insane.

Hmm _Friends_, nah seen em all_, E! true hollywood story_, okay, 7th heaven... Not so much. Well MTV it is then.

Im just sitting and minding my own freaking business when Phoebe pops in. You know, I never used to dread her presence, but that was before everything got screwed up.

Screwed up why you ask? Well obviously because of me. You know, we never even got the demon who did that to me. Or even tried to.

I think I have a new mission. Im going to vanquish the demon.

With this happy thought in mind, I turn back to my beloved television.

I said no 7th heaven.

" Pheebs! Change it back! I was watching something!" I protest

" No way." She shoots back. " I am not sitting through Jackass"

So that's what was on. Shows how much attention I was paying.

"I was here first"

" I was born first"

" Okay..."

" That means I rule. And as your big sister I dont want you watching somthing so graphic" She says feigning seriousness

Im going to try and stay calm. Breathe Paige

" You can't tell me you actually like 7th heaven" I snort

" Maybe I do, Maybe I don't beauty of it is, you'll never know. Now sit back and watch how nice Lacey is to Maria. That's how sister's should treat each other."

" You don't even know the character's names! Its Lucy and Mary!"

" See? you obviously like it. You even know the charcter's names!"

"Whatever"

We watch it for a while. These weeks theme is abstinence. Major eye roll. Its a good show and all, but honestly, the cheesiness. It burns.

Oh gosh. Dinner's ready. Same old Same old. We sit. We chat. We eat, We're done. Im going to go shave my legs.

I've got my razor, my girl shaving cream, soap, and all that good stuff. Shower time.

I love the shower. It makes me feel so relaxed. And now my legs are getting unugly, and Im relaxed at the same time. Perfect.

Too bad Im using all the hot water. Sorry Phoebe. Um not.

I wonder where Leo and Cole are? Nobody tells me anything. Is Leo like on vacation or something? Or is Cole like MIA again? Im not gonna copy my sisters mistakes. My husband will be around all the time.

Almost done . Just gotta do a touch up.

The shaving cream falls, and I bend over to get it, but Im balancing on the tub so I fall and then... Klutz of the century I am , I've sliced my leg open with the dumb razor. Today, sucks just a little.

Jeez that hurts. And Im gushing blood... in the nude. Owie Owie Ow.

Im just going to hop out of the shower carefully and get a band aid. Even though im not entirely sure we have any.

We don't. And I've achieved bleeding all over the bathroom. I would place stop the bleeding with a towel, but guess what? I forgot one. I forgot a towel. I know,. It sounds graphic, but honestly What am I supposed to do. Negligent sisters. And Negligent Leo. not that I would want him to come and heal me while Im naked. That would be grossie josie.

There's a knocking at the door. I better play it cool.

" Im showering!" I call

" I know. But you've been in there for like 45 minutes Paige. Our water bill is going to to be through the roof!" Phoebe says " That's what Prue told me to say anyway." She adds sheepishly

Im not really listening to her. It stings really bad. This is why I wax. I try to clean it out with some soap, but oh very bad idea. With loss of age, Ive lost my common sense. I cannot help the loud whimper or the tears that follow. Im a real wimp. There's no hiding it. Ive been found out.

" Paige?" Phoebe aks, the concern in her voice evident, a piece of the old Phoebe who I haven't seen in a long enough time.

" I-I-I-m-m fine" I try and stammer but im truly in pain. It shows. I must've cut it pretty deep. Im going to bleed to death Im sure of it. They'll find me naked, in a pool of my own blood. Prue will cry and wonder how empty her life will be without me. Piper will not be able to comprehend how she could've let this happen right in her own bathroom. Phoebe will mourn the loss of her only little sister...Tragic...

" Paige!" Phoebe cries once again taking me away from my always vivid day dreams " You really don't sound fine. Are you sure everything's okay?"

The jig is up. " Ye-e-ah. I-i-t-t-s ju-st Im bleeding." I finally manage

There is an akward silence before Phoebe speaks. Obviously uncomfortable, " Oh..err, the tampons are under the sink"

" No Phoebe!" I shout through the door. " Not like that! Ive sliced my leg open with a razor."

" What? Why would you do something like that! Paige, you really need to talk to us about how you're feeling"

" IVE NICKED MYSELF WITH THE RAZOR SHAVING FOOL! AND I DON'T HAVE A TOWEL!" I scream as the burn continues. Make it stop.

" Oh Okay. Just relax. It can't be that bad. Im coming in." She says

" No wait! I told you Im naked!" I plead, but neverless she barges in

I hate her sometimes. I unsucessfully try to cover up with my hands, but its no use. I see Phoebe smirk a bit as she takes in the scene. This is not a funny time. Im dying. Dying!

" Paige, Im going to get some towels. Just stay here."

" Where would I go!" I call angrily as she exits the room leaving the door wide open. Just my luck that Piper walks by at just this moment. First she just walks by, but then backtracks with a panicked expression on her face.

" Oh My God Paige! What happened! Prue! get over here now!" She calls down the hall, as she moves into the bathroom.

Prue's in here within the minute all while slow Phoebe's getting stuff. You know, Im still naked. Ive never been more embarassed in my life. Can't my body even be private from my sisters?

" Paige! What happened!" She cries looking at my leg.

" i've cut myself shaving Prue. Thats all. Could you please leave now?"

" Hang On. Im going to get some towels."

" No wait-" I protest as Phoebe walks in with the desired objects in hand

" I've got them. Way ahead of you Prue."

" Give me that!" I shout ripping a towel out of her arms and wrapping it around me quickly.

" Gee, don't be so embarassed kid. We're you're sisters." Phoebe comments

" That doesn't mean you own me!" I arugue

" Its nothing we haven't seen before." Phoebe replies

"We changed you're diapers not too long ago Paigey" Prue reminds me yet again

"Yeah. So i've heard. Okay Im just going to get some clothes on, and find something to clean this cut up with." I grumble charging out of the room

"Wait!" Piper calls " Do you need any help?"

" I can handle it." I call back as I shut myself in my room. I just have time to put my clothes on before Piper walks in with some iodine and band aids. I know her intentions are good, and I really do love her, don't get me wrong. I'd just like to have an ounce of independance, an ounce.

"Hey." She says putting the items down on my bureau before looking at me just nicely and non judgementally like always. " Should I leave these here, or can I stay?" She asks sort of sadly. I feel bad already.

" Of course you can stay. You can always stay. Prue and Phoebe are a different story." I sigh flopping down on my bed.

Piper accepts my invite and sits down on the edge of the bed. " Let me see that cut of yours" she says pretending I haven't just said what I said.

" Fine. Im too scared to look at it myself anyway." I admit

" You were bleeding quite a bit." Piper agrees " But thats typical for shaving cuts" she points out

" I guess"

She lifts up my pants leg and takes in the damage. " It's really not that bad Paige."

" Are you kidding? I nearly bled to death!"

"Sure you did." Piper says with a small smile " Its not stitches deep honey. Not even close. Im still going to clean it out anyway though."

"I can do it you know. Im not dim." I insist

" I know." She replies putting some iodine on a cotton ball.

" So let me do it."

" I'll feel better if you let me though."

" I just want some independence is that too much to ask for? "

" From Prue, it is. And Phoebe too. You're her only little sister. She really loves you you know."

I nod

" Anyway, we gave you independance at the mall today and you ended up fainting. You didn't seem to like it much either." she points out dabbing the cut with the iodine even though i never said it was okay. But she's Piper, and I can't get mad no matter what. Its hard to think I ever thought she didn't love me. We're close now.

After I scream, because it hurts obviously, I say " You did that on purpose!"

Piper grins " You're worse than when you were four Paige."

" No."

" Okay whatever you say. Its late already and i'm tired. We've had a long day, and while I feel nicely rejuvenated, I must say I feel like i'm going to pass out." She kisses me on the head. " Well little sis, its not like im putting you to bed or anything, but im gonna say goodnight. Sleep tight Drama Queen." she jokes before exiting the room.

Well there's nothing like talking to Piper to make me feel like all is well. I guess i'll sleep too. Maybe we'll have fun tommorow.

Before I can even get up to shut the light out, I drift off. But that doesn't mean I don't feel it when Prue comes in and tucks me under the covers, says goonight and shuts out the light. I can almost pretend that nothings changed. That things are the way they are supposed to be.

Maybe it won't be so bad after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay..So I get I only posted last a couple days ago but honestly people, I feel sad because I haven't gotten alot of reviews yet! Im not usually one to complain but... actuallly you know what? Never mind. If you don't want to review That is okay. I will not beg. I forgive you for being unreviewingfull ( can you think of a better word?). Now on with the next chapter.

**Since you all adore Paige's POV so much ( Or at least those of you who review! Okay Im done now.)...Paige's PoV ( Shocker of the century!)**

Its late. I can't sleep again. I dozed off for a bit, but I inevitably woke up soon after. I always do. I used to go into one of my sister's beds, but now I feel awkward doing so. I can't really explain the feeling. Its just there.

At night here in the manor, I get scared. I imagine the demons from the book crawling out from beneath the pages, and coming to get me. Even something as simple as the wind makes the floorboards howl. Think about it. Im a witch, its nighttime. If I fall asleep any old demon could just shimmer in and stab me to death. It may seem silly to some to be afraid of monsters at my age, but the difference is, my monsters are real. Im terrified.

And I need to pee.

There's no avoiding it. Im just going to have to go really fast.

I get up, and subconciously take Slappy along. Then, I dash down the hallway, quietly though, as to avoid the demons and waking my sisters up.

The light in the bathroom makes me squint and I rub them. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I realize just why my sisters treat me like a kid. I really do look like one. Tired, with a doll in hand, no makeup, and rubbing my eyes, I can't even pass for a preteen. It doesn't help that im so thin or short either.

While im going to the bathroom, I first notice the blood that indicates ive actually gotten my period. Im shocked. I didn't think it was really going to happen. I reach under the sink to grab a tampon, from where Phoebe said they are, as I try to put it in, Im thrown into another unexpeced flash.

The first time the demon raped me. God it hurt so bad. I struggled, but it didn't help. I was tiny as ever, and barely a kid. What could I have done? I was so weak I couldn't even use my powers. Over and over again it just happened. And even when I swore to myself that Prue would come and find me soon, it never happened. At least, not until after I sat through what could be counted as years of abuse.

Im shaking so hard I don't even believe it. Crying too of course. I don't know if I've screamed, but maybe I haven't since none of my sisters have shown up yet. That is what I thnk until I look up and see a very drowsy Phoebe in the doorway, rubbing her own eyes as I did mine just minutes before. It makes sense. Her room is the closest to the bathroom.

" I thought I heard you crying" she grumbles out of fatigue

I don't really say anything. im still in a shocked state. When Piper said things would start to come back fast, she was serious. At least I didn't faint this time. Ive been embarassed enough for a day. Speaking of which, this is all very embarassing too. But im too tired to care.

" You should never use a tampon when you're going to sleep" she says simply plucking it out of my hand. " Here." She continues handing me a pad.

I put it on, and quickly rise from the toilet, even though I'm numb.

"Goodnight" she calls leaving the bathroom, but I catch up and cling to her desperately. I just can't deal with this anymore. I can't. Its tearing me apart. And since Phoebe isn't being particularly bitchy, I need her.

"Wha?" Phoebe gasps in shock. Did she really think I was okay?

She turns to me " You okay Paige?" she asks genuinely and then after taking in my face adds "I guess not."

I nod.

" Well, what happened?" she questions, unlike Prue or Piper who would've just let me be. Maybe its good that shes like this. Making me let my feelings out and all.

"Flashback"

" Oh right. Piper told me and Prue that that might happen." she comments. Taking in my vulnerable form clinging to her for support she caves " Well it must've been pretty bad if you're willing to spend time with me, which you haven't been enthusiastic to do in a while. Alright. C'mon." she says leaving the bathroom and heading into her room.

She climbs into bed and I follow after her. After a period of silence she asks " Do you want to talk about it?"

" Okay" I reply because I figure I better. I think bottling up what's inside is starting to really effect me. " Are you going to tell Piper and Prue?"

She shrugs " I don't know. I guess i'll have too. We'll see I suppose."

" Thats fair I suppose."

" So what happened?'

" It was a flashback of the first time I was raped. It happened because I was trying to put a tampon in. End of story."

" Oh."

" Yeah."

"Im sorry." she apologizes " I don't really know what to say. I feel for you and all and of course love you very much and just want to make it all go away for you, but I don't know what to say."

" That was enough." I say resting my head on her shoulder

" Good. I finally did somethign right as a big sister."

"You've never done anything wrong."

" Yes I have. Maybe you don't remember but a few weeks back before you know what happened, I was seven and you were four and I was really terrible to you."

" No idea."

" Well, I was really jealous that Piper and Prue were paying so much attention to you, so I trid to make you miserable. I stole your ice cream, I threatened old slappy here." she says with a small smile picking up my doll " And probably worst of all I used a spell on you to make your thumb tatse bad so you couldn't suck it."

"Now I remember." I pout as I recall these moments where Phoebe made my life miserable, but I still wanted to be like her no matter what.

"I was thinking thats why maybe we haven't been getting along so hot. I mean we have an unresolved sibling rivalry between us, that you never got to experience with Piper or Prue. Besides we are closest in age so it was most likely for it to exsist in between us anyway."

" You're the psych major" I say cuddling my doll trying to get comfortable as I finally feel a little sleepy.

" Not yet. I've still got a years worth of classes or so to go."

" Farther than I am." I comment'

" You already have you're degrees kid. You don't even have to go to college."

"Good point. But I still have to sit through high school all over again."

" It was your idea though so you can't complain. Did Prue mention to you that she thinks you should redo junior and senior years?"

Im wide awake at this " No!"

"Well she's been considering it. She doesn't think you're mature enough to be a senior yet."

"She can't have it her way."

" Technically she can. She's the boss of you legally and genetically."

" Lucky me."

"Hey, as someone whose been throught this whole growing up with the halliwells thing before, Ill give you some advice. At times you may try to argue with your older sisters, and actually even think you'll win. You may even tell yourself you don't need them. But no matter how many times you tell yourself that you want out, and can't stand how overbearing they are, deep down, you don't know howto live without them. Besides,I don't totally disagree with Prue."

"Im not a baby."

" But you are our baby sister, which makes it hard to see you in any other light, especially for Piper and Prue. It was hard for them to see me grow up too. But they finally let me, because you came along and adopted my position."

" Great. So im stuck forever."

" You know you love it."

" Maybe."

We lay in silence for a while before I say " Hey Pheebs."

"Yeah?"

" Don't call me kid anymore."

" But why not?" she whines

" Because its condescending"

" And Piper and Prue calling you baby isn't?"

" They'll never stop. At least with you I have a chance."

"Fine. Ill just have to think of another nickname."

" Good."

Phoebe tries to go to sleep, but I remain awake. I said I had trouble falling asleep.

When i think she's fast asleep, she mumbles " Are you even going to try and sleep?"

" I dunno"

"Could you try?"

" If you answer one question I have."

" Fine."

"Where's Cole?"

Phoebe's face falls at the mention of her boyfriend and says in a small voice " I don't know" before openly bursting into tears

" Oh Pheebs." I say trying to comfort her to the best of my ability " I didn't mean to make you cry. I was just curious. He'll be back real soon I'm sure of it. Please Don't cry" I plead because it hurts too much to see her in pain

With a final sniffle her tears finally subside and she wraps me in a hug. "Thank you. I needed to let that out"

" I suspected so." I say even though I really didn't

" Liar" she says with a giggle

I giggle too.

" I love you peanut." she sighs

And I guess I have a new nickname

" I love you too big sister."

" Tell me thats not my nickname." Phoebe laughs

" Naw. Ill have to think of something better."

"Paige?"

" Yeah?"

" How come you you can never sleep alone?"

" You're going to make fun of me."

" No I won't'

" Fine. Ill tell you. The truth is, is that Im scared of the demons. Im scared they are going to come get me and take me away again."

"Aw Paige. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

" Nope."

"Oh. Well you don't have to worry because I'll protect you. There is no way Im going to let anything bad happen to you. I can't lose my little sister again."

'Alright." I say snuglling under the covers " Its way past my bedtime" I joke

" Indeed it is" Phoebe replys while I yawn.

" Goonight Pheebs." I sigh as my eyes get heavy with sleep

" Goodnight my little peanut."

And we both fall asleep happy all is well between us for the moment. And this is how we remain as morning arrives.

**So I write a flufffy chapter. Sue me. More eventful stuff will happen alter I assure you. Fear not for beter things are to come if you review...**

**or don't.**


	6. Chapter 6

Heylo. Ive come bearing another chapter for ye all. perhaps we will get somewhere in this chapter. I dont know yet. Just be patient because i have a good plot in my head, its all a matter of executing it. Okay? Okay. Im glad you all are so cooperative. :)

**Do I even need to say it? Paige's POV duh.**

I am roused not too many hours later by a foot jabbing into my side. I open my eyes to find myself hanging off the side of the bed, and boy do I ever get what Piper and Prue meant about Phoebe's kicking. This is the last time I get into the same bed as her.

When i'm fully awake, I notice Prue at the doorway, smirking at me. Well then.

" Good morning sunshine.' she grins cheekily at me as I get up to go get some clothes from my room.

" Yeah, Yeah morning." I grumble pushing past her back into my room, Prue following me annoyingly

" So, what were you doing in Phoebe's room?" she says in sort of a sing song way as I, not even caring anymore get changed into one of my new t-shirts which states" Brunettes can walk and shop at the same time" and a pair of flattering jeans.

" Nothing. Now leave me alone." I demand bothered by her unexplained presence.

" Thats no way to talk to you're big sister now is it? But i'll excuse it because I know its that time of the month."

" Is not" I retort, even though I very well know that isnt the truth

" Liar"

" Fine okay. I got my period so whatever. Is there any reason besides you being annoying that I can't get a moments peace?"

" No. I'll go now." She says with some hurt in her voice leaving the room. To trust it or not?

" Hey no wait! Prue!" I call after her but she just waves me off

Well that was awkward

I put my makeup on in an effort to look older and head downstairs where i am suprised to find Leo, and all three of my older sisters. No cole though. Hmm.

"Morning all" I greet getting seated at the table

" Morning." Various voices chime from behind various sections of the newspaper.

" So whats up?" I ask trying to get some conversation started. Things seem, I dunno tense today.

" Nothing" four voices reply

Now Im getting irritated. " Why are you all ignoring me?" I ask in a small voice

Everyone looks up." Paige. We're sorry" Piper apologizes. " Its just that Prue has a 'suprise' for you and wanted us all to shut up so she could talk about it, but then she never spoke up."

" Prue?" I question a happy glint in my eyes not catching Pipers sarcasm. I love suprises.

" Well, it'll actually be a suprise for all of you." Prue grins mischeviously " The whole I want you to shut up so I can tell Paige calmly we have a doctors and denstist appointment today was just a gimick."

I nearly choke on the bagel I've just taken a bite of. I hate the doctor, and the dentist even more. There has not been one visit to either that I've taken where the outcome hasn't been me in tears, over a shot or cavity or problem or new appliance for my teeth. When I said, maybe it would get better? Lemme know when that happens.

" What!" I cry "There is no way Im going to either of those dudes. You, well at least Piper knows that I haven't gone in years. I hate it."

" You see?" Piper quips turning to Prue " I told you waiting till the morning of and not making it a big deal was an awful strategy. She's just like Phoebe. Always a big baby when it comes to going to the doctor."

" Am not." Phoebe pouts.

" Yes you are." Prue replies. " And thats just why you're coming with us as well."

" But-" Phoebe tries

" Ah ah ah." Prue chides " No buts either of you. Besides, if we don't go now, how are we supposed to go away for the rest of the summer to the bay?"

Piper and Phoebe visibly brighten at this suggestion. I however am clueless.

" Alright!" Phoebe grins " We haven't been to the beach house in ages!"

Beach house? What?

" Now why did I think we sold that place a long time ago?" Piper thinks aloud " Oh well. Im just happy we're going."

" Thank you Thank you thank you!" Phoebe schreeches hugging Prue as Piper and Leo kiss over how romantic it will be. Im still lost.

" Anyone want to fill me in?" I speak up " Im really lost here."

" Oh thats right Paigey. You've never been." Prue says not getting how much it still hurts me to be left out of family knowledge after all this time " We have a summer house on the shore we used to go to all the time as kids. I think it would be good for all of us to go back. Let you be a kid for awhile. What do you say?"

Although i'm still in dismay over all I dont know about my newish family, I nod.

" Good!" Prue grins " I was going to tell you earlier this morning but then i figured i'd suprise everyone all together."

" Okay. Well I better go pack then" Phoebe says briskly jumping up from her seat. I know what she's up to.

" Yeah! yeah! me too!" I add follwing right after her only to be grabbed back by Prue with one of her arms and Phoebe with the other.

" Not until we visit Dr.Hirsch and Dr. Sherman" Prue says in all seriousness holding our hands like we're little kids and are going to run away. (which we probably would) " Bye Piper. Bye Leo." She calls over her shoulder as she yanks us out the door. " Say bye you two."

" Bye" We call silmultaneously and defeatedly as we exit the manor against our wills.

-------------------------------

In the car I fidget and squirm like a trapped bug trying to escape. Phoebe is doing the same all while complaining to Prue.

" You know Prue. You are not the boss of me.' She states firmly " I am an adult."

"Well, Ill just try and remeber that today while you are in tears after geting your blood taken Little Miss Phoebe."

" I will not cry" Phoebe says confidently, but I think she will. That girl cries about everything. Not that I should be talking...

"Yes you will. You always have." Prue shoots back

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry...sorry I couldn't resist the urge. But I do feel a cat fight coming on. Maybe I should intervene.

"Excuse me, but why do I need to go to the dentist? I get its nearly time for my whole yearly checkup and whatnot at the doctor, but why the dentist?"

" Because Paige, you've been eating way too many lollipops.I bet you have a cavity"

I shudder..cavities. Oh the bad memories. But a girls gotta retaliate " I've always eaten as much candy as i've wanted. My teeth are fine."

" Don't lie." Phoebe butts in " I know for a fact that you have at least 3 cavities."

Ah but my dear Phoebe, things have changed. " Not anymore." I grin matter of factly. "My teeth are picture perfect,see?" I say opening my mouth

"I see." Phoebe agrees " Lets go shopping instead, what do you say Prue?"

" I say absoloutly not, you aren't getting out of this." Prue says with a sigh

Well I want to sigh too. But you dont see me being all huffy and so on.

We pull up to a pretty swank office, I gotta say. But what isn't swank nowadays? Apparently, both the dentist and doctorr are in the same office building. How convienent. Its like a pain party.

As we exit the car, Phoebe pulls me aside.

" Make her regret taking us peanut." She says in a rushed whisper so that Prue won't hear her

" Pardon?" I reply not totally getting where she's going with this.

"If you behave, you get a lollipop. If you make a scene you get two." she smiles micheviously

Well I do love lollipops, however, I love my dignity more. " Do your own dirty work Pheebs."

" Fine, be that way." she says snubbing me. Serves me right I suppose, not being all hurray! All for one and one for all! But honestly, crying just to piss Prue off? There are other ways. I don't see what Phoebe's issue with Mr. Doctor Man is anyway. Most people realize by age five that getting a shot isn't the end of the world. I guess Phoebe's slow.

Haha. That was near hilarious. I wonder if Phoebe makes fun of me in her head? Probably does.

We hope into an elevator and ride it up to the third floor. Im thinking I don't like the third floor much. Oh fabulous. The dentist first. I always want to bite their hands being the odd person I am, but I really can't stand people being all engrosssed with my mouth. Its way odd. Think about it.

There is no one in the office. It is still a school day i supoose. Usually these offices are packed with kids. Wait..what am I doing at a pediatric dentist again?

"Prue, I regret to inform you that you have entered the incorrect office. Please try again." I say in an operators voice which I think is quite funny until Prue tells me it isn't.

" Paige, please. There is a fine line between funny and purely getting on my nerves, okay? No we do not have the right office. Learn that you aren't an adult just yet. Not until next year. Since your birthday's in august, we're pretending you're 16 until then. If you are going to object., I do no want to hear it." she snaps

What happened to happy vacation Prue? Besides, who is she to tell me my own age? Even though her idea makes sense...I hate being wrong. Was I even wrong? I didnt even argue with the girl. Maybe she's just paranoid that Phoebe is going to blow a gasket when we get to the docteroonie.Which she will. Phoebe wants her lollipops.

" Paige Halliwell?" a receptionist beckons, and yeah yeah i'm coming, of course with the whole gang behind me. Prue, I guess because its her responsibility, and Phoebe because she likes to tease me. Harumphh

"Please, just sit here." the nice receptionist women guides me to duh, the chair. " The doctor will be in in a moment."

I hum, I look at the ceiling, I avoid Prue's eyes..Doctor's still not here.

Phoebe creeps up behind me and whispers in my ear " Nervous?"

" Nooooo"

" Do you need Pwue to hold your hand?" she taunts me

" Leave me alone Phoebe." I demand "You're the crybaby"

" Am not"

" Are too.'

" Am not."

"Ar-" Im cut off by the doctor entering the room

" Well, if it isn't my favorite family the Halliwells. I thought you had all moved on from me." He jokes. This man is not half as funny as me.

" No." Prue says all shmoozie " Little Paige is still in need of your services." This man doesn't know who I am genius sister.

" I see that." He says with a toothy grin. Yup definately a denist. Look at those unatturally pearly whites. " Hi Paige."

" Hello."

" Now, we'll just get you leaned back so we can take a good look at that mouth of yours. The light is going to be a bit bright, do you want some sunglasses?" is the man serious? Apparently so as he pulls out a selections of the things. Phoebe snorts in the background.

" No thank you." I say politely

" You better take them" Prue insists choosing for me and shoving them over my eyes. More snorting from Phoebe. Some one should give her a tissue. She just mad because I won't be a pawn in her dumb scheme.

" Fine" I say defeated. No use being stubborn.

"Open wide." he instructs using typical dentist lingo, I assume, unless he's just being condescending.

"Well, you aren't in need of a cleaning just yet" He comments and boy thats a shock. Technically, I haven't had my teeth cleaned in my whole life. Bet Prue is shocked.

" Are you sure?" She questions from the background. Yup definately shocked.

" Uhuh. Your sister here has perfect teeth. No need for braces or anything. Except..."

Except what dude?

" I see we have a thumb sucker here." Excuse me?

" You can tell that by just looking at her teeth?" Prue says suprise evident in her voice. Well don't we learn something new everyday Prue?

"I'm right on the money then, no?"

" No." I butt in "You are way way off Mister."

" Prue?" The guy turns to my biggest sister

" Ignore her. You're the professional." Excuse me?

More snorting from Phoebe. Is she an aspiring crack whore?

" From the looks of her bite, I can tell you this has been a lifelong habit, stop me if I'm wrong..."

" No go on" Prue instructs

" Its about time we nip it in the bud. I'd suggest a tooth crib, which will stop the habit permanently. You can't really see it from the outside."

"Okay." Prue says "How soon can we get it?"

"As soon as you want"

" Is today okay?"

"Its fine. We have a dental lab right here, so all we have to do is input some x-rays of Paige's teeth into a computer and it will make it accordingly. Suprisingly, it only takes about 20 minutes."

"High tech." Phoebe acknowledges.

"This is california, what do you expect?" The doctor replies with a smile. "ill be back in a few."

Oh great leave me alone with the sisters of doom. If i still have this habit, why don't I know?

Im shocked because Phoebe doesn't say anything at all. Prue does.

" I wonder why i didn't notice before." She thinks aloud

"Well, its not like you watch me sleep." I say

"I check in on you at night.'

"That's disturbing."

"Fine. I won't do it anymore." She says trying not to cause a fight. Probably thinks i'm majorly pissed right now, which I kind of am.

"So when are we going away?' I ask trying to change the subject. It doesn't matter if they stick some appliance in my mouth anyway. Im a witch. I can orb it out. Plain and simple. And if that fails, well there are ways with kitchen utensils that I've heard of. Besides, I've got bigger things to worry about like vanquishing the demon who messed up my life.

"Tonight. Duh." Prue says with a smile. " Piper is packing for all of us I think. But I could be wrong. We'll see when we get home."

"Okay." I reply " How does she know what to pack?"

" She's a smart girl."

"You're taking this suprisingly well Paige." Phoebe butts in.

"What? Piper packing for me?" I respond playing naive

" No. The whole tooth crib thing."

" Well I don't even realize I'm doing it, so I suppose it won't really affect me much" I say coolly

"Okay!" The dentist's voice booms as he returns to the room. "Here we have it." He says braqndishing the shiny appliance

Woo. Hoo.

I cooperatively let him snap it in. Listen to the whole, no various foods speech and we are good to go. Ew. Now we have the doctor. Which means no alone time to subtly get this damn thing that i'm sure is going to make me lisp out of my mouth.

We go into office number two and wait and wait and wait some more. There aren't many kids in this ofice. Prue says its because the doctor is an adolescent specialist. Whatever the girl says. She knows best.

A receptionist lady escorts us into one of the many offices finally and we wait again. Im jittery just because I'm excited to go to the beach. Its good to be genuinley excited by something for once. I would never tell Prue that though. She already has enough pride.

Unfortunately, my excitement subsides as the doctor comes in. Shes an older lady, probably in like her 40's or something. Phobe looks like she's going to hide behind Prue. Hee. I knew she was squemish, but I never would've guessed to this extent. I want to laugh, but I'd probably get slapped later.

"Hi ladies." The doctor says. She seems nice enough

"Hi." I say in my nicest voice. Prue echoes with a hello, and Phoebe meekly says hi as well.

"I don't believe we've seen you at this office before" She says looking down at her clipboard " Paige and Phoebe."

I shrug.

"We've only just been transferred over from our pediatrician" Prue explains politely. Despite how much I hate to admit it the girl does have good people skills. I beginning to find this lady snotty. Its just her aura, I can feel it. Oh the joys of being a whitelighter.

"And its about time. Phoebe is twenty already."

I see Prue bristle even though its not like she actually didn't switch doctor's earlier. She only started raising me yesterday, and Phoebe hasn't needed raising in years. "Well, when you have one of them there, its easier just to keep to one doctor." She states curtly.

"I understand." The doctor nods, but its obvious she doesn't really care. I don't really like the way she's treating my sister. I look at Phoebe, she seems a bit mad too.

"So lets get this checkup on the move. Paige, you want to hop on the scale for me?"

"Sure." I say getting up and doing as I'm instructed

"Hmm" The doctor says adjusting the scale. "You're only 93 pounds, but for your height, which is around 5 feet, thats about normal. A little light. You're 16 too. So a bit small for your age. I'm sure you'll grow soon.. Okay, what about you Phoebe?" Phoebe switches with me on the scale and gets her measurements taken. I look at Prue to see her breath a sigh of relief. She probably thought she was going to get yelled at for malnourishing me or something.

Uh oh. Ms. Doctor lady says its shot time. Even though I know I shouldn't feel nervous, I still can't help the sinking in my gut.

"Phoebe, why don't you go first? You are older." She suggests

Phoebe looks like she wants to argue with the logic, but Prue waves her off. Its probably like in the sister code of law or something. Its always "you're older so you go first" in this family.

She squeezes her eyes closed as the needled is pushed into her arm and lets out a small whimper. Very small though. Im happy, because I think it probably would've been really embarassing to see Phoebe in a full-fedged fit. She probably tried really hard not to flip because she didn't want Prue to get more annoyed then she already was. My turn I guess...

I don't shut my eyes, because despite what Piper thinks i'm really not phased by this. But as I feel the needle slide into the soft skin on my arm, im hit by another dreaded memory.

_Im being held down on the ground, I must be no older than seven, and I'm stuggling to get free. Im writhe and scream until a huge hand clamps over my small mouth. "Shut up witch." A hideous demon growls and I immediatly freeze. "Thats more like it. Now remember Shh" He hisses as he releases his hold of my mouth and before I can even go anywhere he jabs me with a needle, injecting an unidentifiable substance into my viens sending me spiraling into unconciousness._

I come out of this lapse sweating and dizzy as my eyes meet Prue's, which makes me want to cry if I'm not already. Something about the look she's giving me, like she is the guiltiest person alive, makes me want to die. The trouble I cause for my poor eldest sister. I give her a knowing look and she seems to understand so she backs off. How do we explain this to the doctor, I don't know.

"If you had told me she was sqeamish, we could've gone slower." The doctor chides probably Prue. 'Well, we're all finished here. Pay at the front." She instructs not even giving us a second thought as she leaves the room.

Even though I try to stop myself from doing so I look at both my sisters. Prue tries to give me a reasurring smile as she leaves the room but I can tell there's something wrong. Not that i know what it is or anything. If there was ever someone as unreadable as her, I'd be shocked.

I look at Phoebe now, and she doesn't seem to know what to do. I feel bad she's been saddled with me too. Im just a big ball of problems. I bite my lip to try and keep the dams from bursting, and Phoebe picks up on this idiosyncrisy of mine.

"Hey don't worry about it. C'mon" she says offering her hand "lets get outta here"

Even though its childish, I take the hand because I need the comfort right now. She lets go though in favor of swinging a protective arm over my shoulder. I lean into the reasurrance it provides.

As we walk out of the office, I feel more upset because I don't see any feasable way of stopping these dumb memories. Or stopping them from tearing my family apart. In the car, Prue of course asks "Do you want to talk about it?"

Im still shaken, but I manage to say in a suprisingly calm voice. "The demon injected things in me. I don't know what they were. The end."

Phoebe who is next to me looks taken aback by the nonchalant way in which I discuss my issues. I know I worry her, but she'll begin to stop soon. I don't really like people worring about me. I'll carry my own burdens. Besides, this particular flash did have a bright side.I've seen my captors face. Book of Shadows here I come.

We pull into the manners driveway and I hop out quickly because I really must rip this thing out of my mouth. I ring the doorbell insistently until Piper answers, quickly hug her hello and dash past her up to my room where I can orb certain things away in peace.

When I get into my room, a notice a series of suitcases neatly lined up against the wall, and a small overnight bag on my bed. Piper has definately packed. and as I check my closets and scan the room, I realize she's done a damn good job. Anyway, I'll have to thank her later, but down to business.

"Tooth crib' I call, but just as the blue orbs are covering my mouth, Prue barges in with a gasp and telekinetically deflects it securely back unto my teeth.

"Paige!" She sighs exasperated "That cost alot!" She accosts me

"I know but I don't need it" I sigh back equally exasperated

"Look there is no reason to be embarrassed."

"There is _every _reason to be embarrased" I retort

"No there isn't. Phoebe had the same issue. It ties back to abandonment problems that I wish you didn't have, but you see we never bring it up, okay?"

"Fine." I mumble

"Besides," Prue contnues with a smirk " If you don't need it you won't notice its there at all."

"Very Funny." I reply

"Anyway, if I see you doing that again I'm going to have to cast a spell on you. Don't make me, because I'm serious."

I frown but nod as she exits the room once again. Sometimes I wish she were more understanding, but I guess we all have our own problems in the long run. If it really does get on my nerves, prying it out with a fork is always an option. I guess I better get everything loaded up into the Jeep before it gets too late. I really really need a vacation.

**Im soooooooooooo sorry that took so long but my teachers are jerks and they thought it would be funny for the past few weeks to give me a kajillion reports and exams. But this weeek should be pretty slow and I get out early on Mondays so an update tommorow or tuesday might be in store to make up for my awfulness (see there I go again with the suffixes :) ) I also had to do some research for this chapter and I know it was kind of pointless but i figured why not. Im not deserting this story. We have forever to get to the point lol.**

**3**

**Oh and about the POV thing, we'll prob have some third person here, some thrird person there, maybe every other chapter will be a thrid person. Starting with the next one? Probably. We need to take our own vacation from Paige's head. Okay that was corny. When I get corny its time to stop talking. :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Look at me Im such a nice person and updating at the speed of sound. haaha I love Coldplay. So I had to make yet another corny joke. Who wants to try a third person narrative chapter on for size? Well If you hate it we'll ditch the idea. Okeiley Dokeiley. I think i'll make this one still in Paige's until I know if i'm going to get beaten up for changing it. **

As the sun sets we pile into the Jeep, which belonged to Piper for a millisecond but was rightfully returned to Prue once she came back to life. Piper drives because she had the least hectic day out of all enough, well if you could count a visit to the doctor and dentist hectic, but anyway, the point is she's driving. Which is good. Because out of all my sister's I think she is the least likely to crash the car. Phoebe is in the passenger's seat and Prue is in the back with me. Why am I always in the back? Probably becasue if I was upfront I'd get suffocated with an airbag. Just a pleasant thought.

The minute we get onto the highway I start to feel drowsy. I'm always tired. its a mixture of th warmth of the summer sun, the sounds of the road, and the excitement of going on vacation. I have no idea how long it will take for us to get there, and my eyes shut before I can ask.

**Third person now (for like a sec dont worry)**

Paige fell into a peaceful sleep with her head on Prue's neck and her fingers curled around her eldest sister's favorite necklace, which simply stated her name, Prue, and her other thumb of course subconciously in her mouth. Piper smiled at them through the rearview mirror. Paige always fell asleep in the oddest positions.

Prue, while endeared by her baby sister's place on her shoulder, was more perturbed because she couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu that still shook her up when near Paige. Her sister had been just like this, in her arms, as innocent as she was now when she had been taken by the demon who they hadn't gotten a good enough look at to find before severe amounts of damage had been done to all four sisters. But most of all Paige.

"Its all too similar" Prue spoke her thoughts unintentionally, but even as quiet as she said it her younger sisters in the front of the car had heard her loud and clear.

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked. Her eldest sisters words had caught her by suprise "I don't understand"

"Nothing Pheebs. Don't worry. I was just thinking." Prue reassurred her little sister not about to burden anyone else with her guilt issues.

Lucky for her, Phoebe didn't press. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Piper was suprised, but quickly realized that it just must be a Halliwell thing that long car rides called for intense thoughts as she found herself lost in her own thoughts as well. Looking at the youngest Halliwell again, something puzzled her. She decided to bring it up for clarification.

"Guys, I thought Paige _wouldn't _be able to suck her thumb anymore since we spent $250 on that damn tooth crib." She quipped

Prue looked at Paige again "I didn't even notice. I guess I got ripped off" she said the annoyance evident in her voice "Should I pull it out?" She questioned her brow furrowed as she continued staring at Paige.

"No!" Phoebe warned "I'm serious don't! You guys may not remember, but I certainly do, a victim of the tooth crib myself. She may be able to still have her thumb in her mouth but it's going to cut her finger the second she takes it out. There's no reason in doing it for her. She needs to learn herself."

"Gee Phoebe, seems like you still have some issues from that experience." Piper teased " I do remember now though. Boy were you upset when you woke up."

"I remember now too." Prue said "At least after that she won't be able to argue with us that she has a bad habit."

"True." the other two agreed silmultaneously.

There was a slnece for a while, as Piper focused on the road, and as Phoebe remebered incidences of her childhood aroused by Paige. She was suprised to find that when she was reminsicing about the year she was seven, a four year old Paige, and then later a baby Paige made an appearance. It was funny how such recent incidences got mixed in with old memories. She knew there was a distinction, but when accessing memories it seemed to blur. While such a discovery intrigued the third year psych student in her, it sent a sinking feeling through her body. If her memories were warped by this experience, she wondered how much poor Paige had from her previous childhood to numb the memories of the tragic one she had just had.

At this same time, Prue was thinking about the youngest Halliwell as well. Around Paige, she always felt guilty. She could've tried harder, been stronger. But she wasn't. And now the Paige which had once existed was probably gone forever. The signs for trauma were so evident.

There were the constant mood swings, the over sensitivity, her weight, her size, her thumb sucking-she read on the internet in teens its a red flag for sexual abuse-another major problem Paige wouldn't face, and probably most of all the sick flashes that hit the girl wherever she went. Prue knew that at the manor at least, she wouldn't escape them. She needed a change of scene. And thats what the trip was for. Not for vacation, not for enjoyment, but for first and formost to make Paige better, the other two things would fit in along the way. She imagined her sister happy, and a smile formed on her lips.

That didn't stop her from having to move Paige off her shoulder though before she, Prue who never cried, burst into tears. She wasn't going to lie. She had her issues too. She'd work them out in time. But first, to move her sister.

She tried her best not to wake Paige up as she uncurled her fingers from the necklace, and unwrapped her arm from around her own neck. She then gently lowered Paige's head unto her lap, and her sister assumed a similar position than the one she had previosly. The girl was oblivious to what happend. And Prue liked it that way. She hoped she'd wake up soon though. Without Paige, things got way too quiet.

This period of silence continued, until Piper pulled into a rest stop about two hours later. It was already 10:00 PM and the three sisters who were awake knew it would take at least two more hours with the help of extra large ice coffees to get to the desired destination.

**Paige again. Sorry if i'm confusing people. feel free to hit me with things.**

"Paige. Paige." the voice of Prue awakened me. "C'mon we're stopping for a few minutes. Then you can sleep. "

I groan as I sit up, my hair probably a mess and my clothes most likely wrinkled. I almost instantly become aware of the faint metal taste of blood in my mouth and yank the thumb I had so insisted would't be there when I woke up out. Its bleeding thanks to the new crap thing I have in my mouth. I avoid meeting my sisters eyes as I re-pull my hair up and smooth out my clothes. I bet Phoebe knew the freak thing would cut my mouth. Nice of her to tell me.

I hop out of the car and notice we are at one of those juknie rest stops where people come to eat fast food and do other lazy things. I'm not fond of rest stops. The bathrooms smell. The food sucks. I want to be at the beach already.

"How far away are we from the beach?" I ask as I follow my sisters toward the small building which boasts "Clean restrooms" and "Great Food!" Now who do they think they're kidding?

"We're halfway there." Piper reassures me as Prue yanks me by the arm closer to her as some drunk biker dudes pass by us in the parking lot. I shudder. I truly despise these places.

"Can we get out of here as soon as possible?" I practically plead

"Sure. All we have to do is pee and then get out of here."Phoebe tells me "I hate these places too little sis."

"How'd you know I hated them?" I question

She laughs "If only you could see your face."

We walk into the packed despite the time of night rest stop and find our places on a way too long bathroom line. Great. I lean into Phoebe because I'm so exhausted I don't think I can keep my head up.

"You okay?" She asks

"Yeah" I say "Freakin tired though."

"Thats a given You're always tired."

"I know" I say picking my head up as the line moves and we get closer to the bathroom door. Its suprisingly not that long before we are in and out. I am so ready to go.

Except the sisters want to get something to eat. Ho hum pigs bum. I could argue, but um no. I've learned by now it doesnt work.

Oh looky. A Subway. Please tell me we aren't going to go eat that processed meat they leave sitting out on the counter for who knows how long? No such luck. Great time for Pheebs to crave a turkey sandwich.

"Want something Paige-Pie?" Piper asks her own exhaustion evident in her voice.

"Naw. Don't worry about me Piper." I say sitting down at a table and resting my chin in my hands. " i'm not hungry."

She looks at me skeptically " You're never hungry" she points out.

All I can say, as usual is "I know."

My sisters are patiently waiting on line, and every so often being the nut that she is, Prue turns around to make sure I'm still around. Yeah. No one's kidnapped me. Relax.

Suddenly, I realize, I don't have my cell phone on me, and without even thinking run back to the bathroom to get it. Not that anyone is going to call me or anything.

The bathroom is irkingly deserted and as I reach down to grab my phone, which is laying under the sink with the back popped off and the battery pack out. Funny, I don't remember hearing it fall.

While I'm on my knees, the lights shut out, and I feel my breath catch in my throat. Uh. Oh.

I shudder as I feel someone behind me, twirling a lock of my hair on their finger, and I want to orb away. But what if its a mortal?

I figure I better make a mad dash for it, but I smash my head on the sink's bottom and fall over as flashes of black and white cloud my vision. My head is pounding, but I must orb.

As I feel the clouds start to wrap around my body, my only escape, strong hands grab me and hold me down.

"Now. Now." A menacing voice warns as I continue to panic. I know that voice anywhere. Its the demon who kidnapped me. "I've missed you Paige-Doll" He slurs "I've missed you alot. Don't struggle, It'll only make it harder."

I feel the hot tears streaming down my cheeks as I realize what is about to happen. He undresses me, shames me once again with a deed I am all too familiar with, and the worst part is, I cannot make myself orb away. He doesn't even stay after. He never did. I'm always his toy, never anything more. Not that I'd want to be. As he shimmers out, I get the strength the redress myself, make myself look like I'm perfectly fine and dandy. Then, and only then, do I exit the bathroom.

I don't know what I'm going to do, but I know my sisters can never know what just happened.

They don't ask. They don't question my whereabouts. I've sucessfully made myself invisible to the world. I'm a chameleon.

The new pain must blend in with the not so old behind my eyes or maybe they aren't going to take the time to look anymore.

I do not wince, even though it burns like nothing else as I walk to the car, or break my new guise through the rest of our car trip. When we get to the next rest-stop I do not go in. When Phoebe, who is in the back with me tries to get me to sleep comfortably on her lap, I won't. There is no need to contaminate those who are unharmed by such filth. Besides, how can I be expected to sleep ever again?

When we arrive at the beach, at the stroke of midnight, I can only hope that my troubles will wash away with the tide over the summer.

The chances of that happening though, aren't likely.

**Okay its a shortie, but i have a test on wednesday that needs my attention tmrw night so I had to update before I forgot:)**

**Hope you liked**

**And OmG! Did you guys hear? they've officially announced charmed is ending after the 8th season O**


	8. Chapter 8

**Aloha peeps. It was my brithday last week. And Im on vacation today dances Okay here's the chapter :)**

**Third Person (oh man!)**

Piper stepped out of the car and took a deep breath of the salty refreshing air that brought her back to the last time she had been here when she was about 15. After that, they had just stopped coming. It probably had to do with Prue starting college and Phoebe beginning her tiresome rebellion. There was little time for relaxation as a family then. Piper had understood, but boy was it a great feeling to be back where some of her best times with her sisters had taken place.

Phoebe spun around under the night sky and thought about how much her life had changed since she had last stood in this same spot doing just this. It was like ritual for her. She could feel Prue smiling at her, laughing at her antics, inside of course. She turned to her eldest sister and threw her arms around her neck. "Prue!" she exclaimed "Thank you!"

"Phoebe, quiet will you. You'll wake up the whole community." Prue admonished her little sister trying to retain her responsibility birthright. But even that couldn't wipe the smile off Phoebe's face, which was enough to make Prue smile too. This is what she had wished for, her sisters just happy to be with one another. The beach always did that to them.

And Paige was asleep in the back of the car, her horrific day that nobody but her and her attacker knew about having taken everything out of her. Her sisters wondered if they should wake her up or once again take advantage of her size and let her sleep.

"I say lets wake her up" Prue suggested "We have to let her grow up sometime"

"Yeah but why today?" Piper sighed. She missed little Paige.

Prue shrugged and went to rouse her baby sister. Neither Phoebe or Piper objected further because little did they know how much Paige needed them right then or would for some time. That is, if she would ever get up the courage to tell them.

As Prue lightly shook Paige, her sister gave no response. "C'mon Paige" she urged softy. "We're finally here"

Finally, Paige responded with a low growl of "Nooooooo"

"Paige" Prue insisted

"Urrrgg" her sister mumbled back.

Prue was getting impatient, she had been up practically the whole night and was anxious to get to sleep. She threw up her hands in frustration " One of you try. I'm too tired for this"

"Prue? Admitting to defeat. Never thought it would happen" Phoebe joked " I'll try."

Rather roughly, she shook Paige. " Get up" she demanded, she was tired too, although she would never say so.

Paige opened her eyes finally, but instead of being drowsy, she was wide awake. Her sisters were oblivious to the amount of times she'd been woken up in a similar manner by some not so nice people. "Okay" she said softly

Prue and Phoebe just assumed she was tired but Piper caught a look in her eyes and an emotion in her voice that radiated nothing but raw terror. Piper dind't know what from, but she decided to keep it to herself and comfort Paige on her own time. If Paige hadn't mentioned anything and wasn't completely a mess then what happened couldn't have been that bad could it have been?

"And thats how its done" Phoebe bragged as Paige lazily tried to get out of the car. While Prue and Phoebe began making their way up to the house, which was bigger and more beautiful than Paige could've imagined , and much more modern, Paige was still sitting in the car pretty much numb with Piper waiting for her for a reason she didn't yet understand.

"Paige? Is everything okay." she prompted

"Not really" she said in a hoarse whisper " I don't want to talk about it right now"

Fear was sparked in Piper, but she knew better than to push Paige. She would pick up the pieces when the time came

"Oh." was all Piper could manage to say "Well, do you need me for anything?"

Paige shook her head slowly

By this time, Prue and Phoebe had made there way halfway up the walk, but had not gone inside realizing that their key was with one of their neighbors, the daughters who were a couple of years older than them of an older couple who used to live there who had been friends with first their parents and then Grams. Prue wondered if their parents still lived there in the summers with them. She had spoken to their oldest daughter who was the same age as her whom she had been close too growing up, Melissa, but she hadn't asked. She had just arranged to get the key to their house.

"Are you going to get up and go inside yourself?" Piper further questioned carefully

Paige shook her head again

"Fine then" Piper sighed. She reached down and lifted her light sister up and held her tight. She knew Prue would disprove, but she wasn't going to fight with Paige, especially when she knew something was terribly wrong. She felt Paige settle in her arms and bury her head into her shoulder. Piper was happy that Paige was finally calming down, not that Prue or Phoebe noticed she wasn't calm before. Besides, it wasn't like Paige was heavy or anything and it was the least she could do. Anyway, Piper guessed she would have to tell Prue and Pheebs what she noticed about Paige, but part of her wanted to help Paige herself. Maybe she wouldn't say anything.

Piper carried Paige to where Phoebe and Prue were.

"Why isn't she walking?" Phoebe asked innocently curious

"She's just sleepy, don't worry about her." Piper semi-lied

"Well fine then, but the neighbors are going to ask questions" Prue joked trying to get a laugh out of her sister who had been too quiet for Prue's liking. She suspected soemthing was wrong, but decided not to mention it.

Paige said nothing

Prue rang the doorbell, of the what could actually be considered a mansion when Paige thought about. It was the same size of their house too which was pretty cool.

It was answered by a pretty young girl who Prue, Piper and Phoebe recognized as Melissa and accordindly hugged her.

"Oh look at you three..four now!" she said excitedly "Prue and Piper you look great as always, and Phoebe wow you've grown up"

Phoebe smiled "Well, its been a while"

"And who's this little lady" Melissa near cooed brushing Paige's back. Paige didn't usually like being touched as if she were public property but her sisters seemed to know this girl pretty well so she turned around off of Piper's shoulder to see who it was

"Oh guys she's cute. Another Halliwell sister I'm assuming, since you guys don't have cousins or anything."

"Yup. Our baby Paige" Prue smiled too.

_Well thats not at all a stereotypical way to introduce me Prue, Really_ Paige thought

" Right you told me how you just found out about her. Its so awesome that you guys are so close already. How old is she?" Melissa said very energetic for the time of night

"16" Piper answered

"She is young" Melissa said with a nod " Nice to meet you Paige" she said with that same energy

"You too" Paige said in the same all too quiet way she'd been talking in since it happened again.

"Well, she seems tired, so I'll just give you guys the key. I had cleaning come so everything should be in order."

"Thanks Liss." Prue said giving her friend a final hug "We'll talk more tommorow over breakfast at our place"

"Oh. Okay sounds like a plan. G'night you all" she said starting to close the door

"Night" they all said giving her small waves.

The sisters walked the short distance to their own house, which looked even nicer up close in Paige's mind. She wondered why her sister's never mentioned its existence before now. Actually, she didn't really care. She was just really glad she'd be living there.

As Prue unlocked the door, Paige urged Piper to let her down.

"I'm okay now." she told Piper, even though she fet quite differently "You don't have to carry me anymore"

Piper, as she decided before, wasn't going to argue, "Okay."

Paige followed her sisters into the house, their house and was instantly floored. Everything looked expensive,clean, tidy, like if you touched anything you would screw the whole place up. Paige had felt this way when she first moved into the manor too, so she figured it would pass.

As she stepped into the living room, she noticed the high ceiling that was actually just a huge window through which she could see the night sky. There was a huge circular beige couch and on the wall a TV that was about the size of a movie theatre screen. Her sisters had this much money? If so why didn't she see it?

"One good thing about Victor was the long line of money he came from" Prue said as if reading Paige's thoughts. "He was never around, but that didn't stop him from spoiling us."

Paige felt lightheaded. So thats why she didn't get these benefits. Every time her sisters spoke of Victor she felt as if she didnt belong. They didn't have to know that though.

"Oh cool.' Paige said, more coldly than intended.

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe didn't miss this tone but decided to wait till a more normal hour to discuss it with Paige. There was so much about her they didn't know, that they should've known. It just wasn't fair the way things had turned out.

"C'mon kids lets get to bed." Piper said trying to change the subject "You remember where your rooms are."

"I don't" Paige sighed.

"The guest room should be all ready for you Paigey" Piper said trying not to get mad at Paige. "I'll show you the way."

"Alright" Paige said still being bitter. Piper attributed it to overtiredness and just let it go. All of the sisters walked up the stairs and Piper led Paige toward what would be her room.

"We'll come and say goodnight to you when we get settled sweetie." Prue reassured Paige.

"Fine" she replied getting on Prue's last nerve for the second time that night, but Prue also tried to shrug it off reminding herself that Paige was just exhausted

Piper led Paige away to the guestroom. "You know I've never been in here before funnily enough. I hope its in okay condition.." Piper started but stopped out of shock the second she opened the door.

Inside what her and her sisters had thought was an ordinary guest room they had never bothered to go in as kids, was a room fit for a little girl. The walls were painted yellow and accented with pink flowers and in the center of the room stood a white twin canopy bed with flowered bedding. There was also a dresser to match, another rocking chair and a bookcase filled with children's books. But most of all, above the quaint little bed hung one word that said worlds about the room. There were four white letters that spelled out Paige.

Paige felt a lump form in her throat. This would've been her dream room as a kid. She didn't know why it existed. It was like one of those rooms parents of kidnapped kids keep just in case they come back. What did she not know about her past?

She heard Piper's shaky voice call "Prue, Phoebe, could you come here for a second?"

She continued to walk around the room and examine it closely. There were photos on the wall of a child, a baby, who couldn't have been anyone but her. There was a picture of a small Prue, holding a newborn with striking blue eyes that mirrored her own. That was her. There were pictures of Piper and Phoebe as children doing the same. But strangest of all, there was a picture of Patty-her biological mom and Victor- the man she thought was her _sisters_ dad looking at her lovingly. There was not one photo with the man she thought she got her whitelighter powers from, Sam. What was going on?

"What the hell?" Phoebe said coming up behind her looking at the photo " Sam's your dad not Victor"

"Maybe there were some things mom and grams didn't tell us" Prue said flipping through a photo album she had found tucked away inside the bookcase "There's an adoption certificate in here, come look." The sisters gathered around the eldest accordingly "It says, that Victor adopted you Paige"

"Then why'd they give her away after all that?" Phoebe questioned in alarm

" I don't know" Prue said "But we can always call Victor and ask him in the morning. We need the answers. For now, lets get to bed."

She pushed Piper and Phoebe out of the room after they said goodnight to Paige, and finally said goodnight herself, after making sure Paige was in bed.

She then shut out the light and closed the door leaving Paige alone in a room, and in a mixed up life where she would never fit.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi people. I know... I feel bad I should've updated sooner, but I'm just so popular I didnt have the time. Jk kids. Here's the chapter.**

**Paige's POV- see I'm being fair, switching on and off :)**

Now do they seriously expect me to go to sleep after all thats happened? Okay so they don't even know half of it, but I know Piper at least noticed something was wrong. And this, well this is very very wrong. This room, these pictures, this shit!

Victor is not my father. This is not happening.

He's a nice guy and all from what Phoebe has said (i've never met him), but really, am I that undesirable that both my biological father _and _first adopted father gave me up?

The worst part of it all is, she could've stopped them. She could've found me. Prue and I are 8 years apart in age. There is photographic evidence she was introduced to me as well as my other sisters. But they were little yet. They could've forgotten. But there is no way in freaking hell that Prue would've forgotten about such a significant event.

So why was I given up for adoption is the big question? I loved my adoptive family, I really did, but they are all gone now and my whole life I felt empty and incomplete because I didn't know who my real family was.

Do my sisters even get that I'm falling apart? Do they care that my life gets more complicated by the day?

I want to say no, but I know that isn't fair.

Okay, I'm getting up now. I'm going to stay up for the rest of the night I can already tell. There is no need for me to hang around in this stupid little girls room that my psycho 'parents' kept for a child that they never planned on keeping in the first place.

Or did they? There are too many questions and Im absoloutely seething. I can't help but kick the bed so hard that I hear my damn foot crack and I fall over with a crash to the floor.

Gorgeous. My life is just gorgeous.

I think I'm going to scream. So I do what I always do. I run to Prue. Or to be more precise orb.

And then I scream.

Prue shoots up in bed as usual. With one look at me she grumbles "I'll pay attention to you in the morning" and slinks back under the covers

I know my sisters aren't exactly the greatest people to wake up, and I know I do it alot for stupid reasons, but this people is not stupid. I heard my foot crack, I can't move it.

I feel like the boy who cried wolf. Except I'm the wiccan who cried problem.

"But Prue" I choke my voice heavy with tears for much more than a stupid broken foot "It hurts"

Only then does she take the time of day..well night to see me sitting on her floor clutching my limp foot.

"You're a mess" She groans

I sniffle pathetically

"Every night you manage to injure yourself. I don't understand it. But I see if I don't do something now you are going to start sobbing which I could live without. Okay c'mere" She calls me over

"I can't. I think I broke my foot" I say

"Lovely" she comments getting up and pulling me to my feet.

I go to scream some more and she cups her hand over my mouth, just like my attacker did. I try not to react to the feeling of dread that overwhelms me during such moments. I'm suprised when it works.

She helps me over to her bed and I take in the unfamiliar room. Its plain, clean, orderly, just like Prue's outer appearance. But when I look closer, I see the sentimental things. An old quilt with her name stitched on it that looked well loved, an ancient record player, and so many other things that let me inside my eldest sister's head. Being in a room that Prue hasn't wiped clean of the happy person she must've been at some point in her life was refreshing. It makes me think that same person still lives in side of the bitter person she's become. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but I don't really think Piper or Phoebe see the shell of a person I see when it comes to Prue. She doesn't feel like the rest of us.

"Paige?Paige? Hello?" Prue says waving a hand in front of my eyes. I spaced out again. Figures...

"Huh?" I say

"God Paige, you never listen to a word I say. You're seriously starting to piss me off. Now go on, heal your own foot. I'm almost postive it'll work"

"You know whitelighter's can't heal themselves" I point out

"No, I don't" Prue argues "Besides, you aren't a whitelighter. You are only half."

'Fine" I sigh feeling like this is the huge waste of time but nevertheless place my hand over my hurt foot. My jaw drops as I see the familiar glow and the pain of physical energy subsides. "Oh" I express in revelation

"You see. There you go. Now leave" she says shoving me out the door

I stand there dumbstruck. I hadn't said 'Oh' because I was suprised by my abilities. I said oh, because just as I finished healing, I noticed a framed picture on Prue's dresser. Of all three of my sisters. And me. As kids.

So she did know all along.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

When the shock wears off after a good ten minutes I orb myself outside to the big porch I noticed when we came into the house. I seat myself on the white porch swing that hangs off of its roof and start swinging back and forth, forced to comfort myself yet again.

Let's be frank. Its no secret relief from the 'not as bad as I made it out to be' foot pain was what I wanted when I orbed in on Prue tonight. I wanted relief from the awful sensation of rape, that even I am coming to realize after so long doesn't exist.

Not even when you have three older sisters.

I curl my legs under my chin and rest my face on them looking straight ahead wondering if he knew where I was right now, if he would dare come and hurt me again with my sisters so close by. They are so blind to the changes in my personality though that I wouldn't be suprised if they ignored me. Like the rest of the human race, they see and hear what they want and leave out the rest hoping they aren't missing anything important.

Which, mind you, they are.

I ponder things. Drowning myself in the ocean, cutting vertically so I bleed out quicker, fashioning a noose out of gym socks, all sick sick things.

That's because I'm sick, whether anyone chooses to see it or not, or whether I let them.

It's silly, really when you think about it that I'm agonizing over my sisters ignorance to another life changing event. I should be grateful. When you keep a secret, you hurt a lot less people.

But its so much more than that. The secrecy, the unknown, the fear.

And all I have is myself in the end.

My head hurts, so I bury it in my legs pretending they are a sister's shoulder even though I now know the difference. I let small tears stain my pajama pants which are patterned with hearts, which gives the appearance they are bleeding, just like my own.

I'm vaguely aware of the murmur in the rhythm of the the swing, which rocked me during this depressing moment I'm in the middle of, but I make no move to acknowledge whose ever it is presence. Actually, I know its Prue. No one else would have the audacity to try and untuck my head while I'm clearly having a meltdown.

"Paigey, " she whispers in an attempt to sound gentle, " Don't be that way"

Its too late. I think before realizing I've mumbled it aloud. I didn't mean it regarding our relationship, I meant to catch me from the fall I was already well on my way to having. I was on the edge. Most teenagers are bound to jump or even if they are foolish enough fall off. Prue doesn't know about the scary feeling I have revisiting me from a time I don't want to go back to where I was left completely alone. That was pain for others though. Pain for yourself is so much different.

"Why do you have to make me feel so guilty?" she whines, ( fyi, its annoying) "I've come to apologize. I realize how much I suck as an older sister. I should've been there for you. I'm sorry."

You should be. I think, but make sure I don't say. In the long run, this isn't Prue's fault, but its so much easier to pretend it is.

"You knew" is what I sniffle out next " You knew about me, and you didn't come get me. I needed you"

"I was too young . But I don't even think you would've wanted me around anyway."

" I would've after they died."

For once, she has nothing to say. I cry harder to fill the silence.

She tries to gather me in her arms, but I thrash and fight until I'm sure she has no patience left. She has the power to make me say things I shouldn' t and to invade my privacy like no one can. We are too similar for our own goods. Therefore, I cannot let her kiss it and make it better. I don't want it to be better.

When I'm finally done fighting, sure that Prue has nothing left in her either I let my guard down. A mistake.

She saw it coming and waited until I was calm enough for her to wrap in a hug, preventing me from shattering into a thousand pieces.

I succumb to her love that I would've been floored to find moments before.

She says all the right things. "You've been through too much." "Its all going to be okay" " I'll tell you everything later." "Just relax and forget for a while"

I give all the right answers, and for a minute wonder if its just that easy, to relax and forget

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Its overcast today. Gloomy weather for a depressed kid I guess. I can see a storm brewing through the dumb window in the living room and wonder how long it'll take before the rain comes.

There isn't anything on tv if you haven't guessed. Besides, even if there was I wouldn'e be allowed to watch it. The sisters are playing impress the neighbor in the dining room and after dismissing myself, rudely in Prue's opinion (so much for the nice sister gig of the night before, but no i'm not dissappointed yet again) I'm not allowed to watch tv for the next week.

I thought this was supposed to be a _fun_ vacation.

I'm sure I can sucker one of my sisters into releasing me from the punishment. Who do they think they are punishing me anyway? Some type of authority figures?

Whatever. Here come Phoebe and her old buddy from next door. I'm not crazy about her at the moment either. But, I wanna see If I can watch television

"Hey Pheebs" I say still looking at the sky above me, lowering the risk of her seeing anything wrong within them

I imagine the eyeroll, just for show in front of her friend " What now?"

"Can I watch t.v?"

"No. You know what Prue said. Stop annoying me." She scoffs

"Fine. I'll stop annoying you." I say angrily, I'm very angry lately "Don't come looking for me though." I warn as I storm out of the house into a real oncoming storm.

I don't turn back to see if anyone's coming after me. I don't care. Things just get worse and worse around here.

As I walk briskly along the shore of the beach, what could be considerably close to the ever rising tide, and think about my day so far.

Piper seemed to have forgotten all about me because Leo came back last night, Prue was in a bad mood in general because there was too much to get ready before stupid Melissa and her stupid sisters came over for breakfast, and Phoebe was self absorbed as always.

They were seemingly able to forget about the one problem in their lives, me.

I wish I could sit around and pretend life is perfect when it isn't like they do. I wish I could sit and act as though I'm fine. But I won't do that to myself again.

I think i'll go swimming.

I strip down to the bikini I self conciously put on underneath a small pair of denim shorts and a baby tee this morning and toss them aside as I delve into the freezing cold water.

And then, I hear the rain.

Its pouring. But I don't care. There's no difference when you are already soaking wet and in the ocean anyway. I play a game with myself that I used to play when I was a kid. You play alone alot when you know, you are an only child.

Im going to see how long I can hold my breath underwater for.

After the first few seconds I wonder if I tried hard enough I could do that thing Leo said whitelighters can do where they change their appearance. I imagine gills really hard and think about them forming on my neck. Then I do the stupidest thing ever, I open my mouth to breath underwater because I think I can, only to have my very human lungs fill up with salty water and leave me struggling to breathe.

I always hated pretending when I was little, and here's a clear cut example as to why.

I feel myself being pulled with the undertow, in stride with my lack of oxegyn and orb out to the shore, which doesn't turn out to be much safer. There is loud thunder, and lightening, danger. But I nevertheless situate myself behind a boulder and fascinate myself with counting the time in between claps of thunder and spying on the lighting striking the ocean in the distance instead of heading home. Its dangerous there too.

Its actually a suprisingly long time before I hear Prue's voice bellowing "Paige Elizabeth Halliwell, what the hell do you think you're doing!" I notice she disregards the Matthews part of my name in favor of my middle one. I also notice how furious she sounds and wish myself anywhere but here.

Too bad I didn't orb

"An idiot sometime you are such an idiot I can't even" Prue continues to rant while Piper hovers in the backround. Phoebe is nowhere. She looks down at me " You're shivering" she says softly before collecting me into her arms, trying to give all her warmth to me. "Lets go home and get you warmed up" she decides and somehow, even though she carries me all the way back to the house where my life got worse, vainly trying to return color to my skin, like I'm a piece of baggage thats no more than a hassle, I'm still freezing and know its not from anything but an overdose of grief.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm backkkkkk . Im sorry that took so long and I left you all hanging. I got sick one week, and was in bed the whole time and then I spent this week trying to get back on track. I'm sorry if I made you think I was abandoning the story but I wont do that. I hope to update again very soon actually.**

**You know what? I really like Paige's POV too much to drop it yet**

Once Prue gets me inside the house and out of the rain she places me gingerly on the couch and looks at me, taking in my blue lips and ocean soaked form that I caught a glimpse of in the mirror by the entanceway. I want to be anywhere but here, and even though I have the power to leave at the drop of a hat, something is keeping me here.

I expect her to yell at me some more, or Piper to open her mouth, but neither do this. Instead Prue takes up being nice like it counts all of the sudden

"Okay Paigey" she says " Just hang with Piper for a minute. I'll get back to you in a few"

"Whatever" I mumble, wishing that I hadn't been found.

She gives me a tight smile and then rushes off upstairs. I sit tight twiddling my thumbs until Piper snaps

"So why'd you do it? Why'd you go off like that?" she demands

I shrug "Phoebe told me to stop annoying her so I left"

"Do you realize that you could've drowned or been kidnapped again? I was worried sick. You know better"

Yay. A lecture. I won't mention I did almost drown and that there are way worse things in the world than kidnapping.

" I obviously didn't or else I wouldnt've have gone" I muse

'Cheeky. You always have to be so cheeky Paige. Well its not working as a cover up. I know something's wrong. Prue obviously does too or else she would'nt have let you off so easy."

Then I remember. Prue looked straight on into my eyes when she found me for a long enough time that if she was looking, she probably could've seen that something was wrong.

Lovely.

Piper seems to be studying my reaction, looking for something that'll tip her off as to exactly what is wrong. I'm certainly not going to tell. I've already made up my mind about that one.

Before she can say anything else though, Prue's voice calls us "Come upstairs to the master bathroom you guys"

Um why? I look at Piper questioningly. A smile tugs at the corner of her lips and she just sing songs "You'll see"

So we climb up the stairs and Piper directs me to the bathroom because I certainly have no clue where it is and I open it only to be shocked once again by the size of this house. There is a huge tub in the center of the room filled with bubbles in which Phoebe and Prue are already sitting in bikinis of their own. Piper pulls off her clothes to reveal a bikini as well and hops in the tub with the others. Prue grins at me "We brought the ocean to you"

I can't help but grin back as I jump in as well. Only my sisters would be crazy enough to do this.

"Ah look she's smiling for once. I knew this would work." Phoebe says

I look at her "I'm mad at you"

She pouts "I'm sorry I told you to stop annoying me. Sometimes I just don't want to deal with you"

I pout right back "You don't get to pick and choose when you are my big sister and when you're not"

"I'll always be your big sister no matter what I say." she insists

'Okay" I force a convincing smile, knowing its the right thing to do, but not necessarily what I want to. Its no secret me and Pheebs have got issues with one another. Yes she will always technically be my sister, by blood, but if she keeps being so nasty maybe not by any emotional bond.

"No come here and give me a hug" she says pulling me rather aggressively into a bear hug and getting me all soapy. I laugh. This is sort of fun.

Phoebe tosses some soap foam at Prue who retaliates and returns the favor. I sit back and watch the scene before me. If someone saw us right now, they would never guess the underlying problems that we have. They'd never know I was the source of those problems. In a way its reasurring to pretend you are on the outside, and to step out of your reality for a while. It may be the only thing keeping me sane.

I laugh some more as Phoebe gets some soap in her eyes and is temporarily blinded. Its funny when she flails like a nut.

But then she gets out of the tub saying she has to get ready for tonight, whatever tonight is. Since I don't know about it I must not be invited. Anyway, faux normal moment expired.

"You're right Pheebs. It is getting pretty late. We should all start getting set to go." Prue agrees as she and Piper step out of the tub one after the other.

"Come on Paige, you're coming to." Prue explains when I stay in the tub. I want to ask where, but then again I don't really think I want to know.

I nod, and climb out to the stairs, as I start to climb down I get stopped by Phoebe's hand.

"Wait Paige." she says "Prue aren't you going to do what you used to do with me when I was little?"

Prue grins. "I totally forgot about that."

Im lost again. No matter how hard they or I try, I will never be part of the unspoken language the three of them share. It sucks.

Prue holds out a huge fluffy towel and looks up at me "Jump, little sister"

I look at her skeptically. "No way" I hear myself say "I'll knock you over."

"Will not"

"Will too"

Prue sighs in a way I even know is exaggerated. "Fine then. I guess thats just another Halliwell tradition you'll never be a part of" she mocks me

The comment stings and I relent. Anything, no matter how stupid to gain acceptance. I take a leap of faith, and am once agains surprised as I find myself beign twirled about by my loon of a sister safe inside the towel.

It feels like childhood, even though I know mine's been lost somewhere along the line. I giggle as Prue lowers me to the ground.

"You see? I knew you would like it, Phoebe always did when she was little." Prue says

I just smile at her, and don't mention that I'm not little. Again, its nice to pretend.

She hands me a robe monogrammed with a P and puts an exact copy on herself. Phoebe and Piper are wearing them too. Boy was Victor, or Dad I guess you could say (gag) cheesy.

"Be ready by 6" Prue tells Phoebe and Piper who each head off to their rooms.

"We know" Piper says with an eye roll before scampering off to see Leo.

Prue follows me to my room, which I would've thought was strange a few months ago, but now is just typical. She probably wants to talk. Maybe she'll tell me where we're going tonight.

I sit down on my freaky bed because i'm not changing while she's in here, and she plops down next to me.

"Turn to the side" she instructs, and I do, as she begins to french braid my hair. A fancy hairstyle, that takes a lot of work with my curly hair.

"Where are we going?" I inquire finally. Anticipations a bitch.

"To see Daddy" she says without hesitation as if shes speaking to a small child.

"He's not my _Daddy_" I spit in disgust "My daddy is dead"

"Paige." She says getting into lecture mode " We are just going to find out your whole story. I thought this would excite you."

"I never dreamed of finding my birth parents you know" I say matter-of-factly. "I had parents"

"Twiceover" she points out "Besides, I find it hard to believe you never cared where you came from."

"I didn't know I was adopted until I was 14. I found out the hard way. They didn't even tell me, I found my birth certificate." I admit softly

She doesn't stop braiding "That must've been so hard for you." She says

"Thats why I started drinking." I confess

"I don't want to think about you doing bad things."

"Maybe if things would've been different, you'dve stopped me."

"Maybe."

"How come when you turned 18, you didnt come find me?"

She is silent for a while "I convinced myself you didn't exist, because Grams kept telling me so."

"She hated me"

"She hated not having you with us."

"Do you remember the day I was born?"

"What do you think?" She says her eyes gliding over to the identical eyed sisters in the portrait on my wall.

"What was it like?"

"You had the most beautiful eyes. Everyone thought they would stay."

"Oh"

"Mom and Dad loved you Paige, they really did."

"Then why'd they give me up?"

"Thats the part I don't know. It was hard for me Paige. One day you were just gone. No one explained to me why, and it was as if you never existed."

"Did you love me then?"

"More than you will ever know" She says securing my hair with an elastic "I wish I had been there for you when the Matthews died."

She won't call them my parents. "I wish you had been there too." I say tracing my finger along the bedspread's floral pattern

There is a long silence before Prue stands up and leaves the room "Make sure you look your best" She says before she exits

I will, because Victor might not accept me otherwise. Not that I care if he does,but it would be nice to share a live parent with my sisters.

I slip into one of my nicer summer dresses, a blue checkered number, and can't help but feeling like I'm climbing into the skin of a girl who is happy enough to wear it and have it suit her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello one and all. Back again for another delightful chappie! **

**3rd person for sake of the chapter**

**Oh and Btw, Me, I don't own the Grimm's fairy tales. **

Paige was going to throw up. Her sisters could've at least given her more than an hours notice before springing the D bomb on her. She did not want to meet Victor. She didn't care or need him. But god, she was so nervous.

She thought of the time not that long ago when Leo had taken her to the past, to feel better about her parent's deaths. She had finally gotten some closure, but was hurt by the realization that her parents had been so disappointed with her during her teenage years. She was the same age then as she was now. Would Victor be disappointed with the way she turned out too?

Not that she cared or anything.

Paige sloppily tried to curl her already long eyelashes but ended up pinching her eyelid instead. "Oh shit, shit!" she cried as she cupped her hand over eye. Stupid shaking hand.

Phoebe chose that moment to peak into Paige's personal bathroom. She turned to see her older sister snorting trying to supress laughter.

"Lost your sheep, Bo peep?" she quipped causing Paige's cheeks to redden against her pale complexion.

"What? You weren't wearing that were you?"

Paige felt the tears well up in her eyes "Well, its not like I know exactly what _your_ father likes to see his daughters in." she said before pushing past Phoebe in the doorway, back into her room.

"Someone's menstrual" Phoebe sing songed under he breath. The Paige she had come to know and love before this ordeal was not this sensitive,but then again at that point her life was a lot less complicated and it wasn't as though her and Piper were forcing her into meeting their father.

She would have to be nicer. It was hard though. She had been teased enough times in her lifetime by Prue and Piper. She was just passing on the favor. Although, she did remember how sometimes it make her feel like crap about herself. She guessed it was one of those times with Paige.

She turned into Paige's room to see her sister throwing all of her clothes out of her closet and onto the floor.

"Woah there cowgirl" she said pulling Paige away from doing more damage. "Do you want Prue to have a nervous breakdown when she sees this place?"

"Last straw." Paige mumbled

Phoebe did not really understand what Paige was saying for a few minutes and began to bend down to gather the clothing. She knew Paige would never do it herself. She shot up though, jeans in hand when she recalled her and Paige's talk in the bathroom a few hours earlier.

"Oh, Paige. I'm so sorry..." She began but was cut off by Paige.

"Look, just stop it Phoebe okay? I know you don't like me. Guess what? I get it. So please, just spare me the trouble and get out."

"Paige, I.." she tried again

"GET OUT!" Her little sister screamed at a banshee's pitch as she proceeded to try and shove Phoebe out the door. Phoebe retaliated though by grabbing Paige's arm and getting her into a full on body lock, a gentle one of course. Ah the off times where her black belt came in handy.

"You need to stop it miss sensitive. And no I'm not getting out. Not until we find you a suitable outfit." she retorted shutting the door she had nearly been pushed through. The she let Paige go and started raiding the closet herself.

"There was nothing wrong with what I was wearing." Paige near whispered, which she had been doing alot lately. Phoebe had been studying the triggers, and new with a sinking feeling that she had somehow scared Paige.

She sighed inwardly. She knew she provoked Paige on a regular basis, but she missed her younger sister's bite that used to exist on its on. She was so intent on making Paige the same girl she was before that she often forgot the fragile person Paige had become. Anyway, right now she needed an excuse so Paige wouldn't hate her forever.

"You are very emotional" she tutted "Now, do you see what I'm wearing?"

"Yes." Paige groaned taking in her sisters flowing long sleeved top and pants.

"Im wearing clothes for coolish weather aren't I? That's because its cool out. Too cool for that dress of yours.Do you see what I'm saying now dear?"

Paige tried not to smile, but sometimes the way Phoebe acted just made her want to laugh. She couldn't stay mad at her. Besides, she needed at least one ally.

"Yes ma'am" she said mock saluting to know Phoebe she was back in quirky Paige mode. Sometimes she felt as though she was losing her old self, the person she really was.

"That's my girl" Phoebe said giving her a grin, "Now lets hurry up before Prue gets her thong in a knot."

"Eww" Paige cried jokingly burying her head in a pillow as she was now sitting on her bed "I don't want to hear about her undergarments."

Phoebe laughed out loud, truly amused by Paige "I guess she'll be so dissappointed then when she can't give you the briefs vs. bikini speech?"

"Your kidding right?"

Phoebe just raised her eyebrows as she continued to sift through Paige's closet. Yes of course she was kidding but Paige didn't have to know so.

"Ah here!" she exclaimed pulling out a V cut royal blue top and a pair of dark wash jeans to match. "This is a suitable outfit. Maybe a tidbit casual, but whatever. Where did you get these anyway?"

Paige bit her lip nervously, "Err..." she said trying to think of a good answer

Phoebe shot her a look and peeked at the tags. "Armani Exchange! True religion! Paige!"

"What?" she said giving her best innocent baby sister look

Phoebe caved, "Well, I hate to see Prue's face when she sees that credit card bill, but I won't tell as long as you share."

"Of course." Paige replied, even thogh she didn't think the cothes fit for her waif body would be able to fit Phoebe, who was much more developed than she was.

She stripped out of her dress, and into the new outfit not half as self concious around Phoebe as she was around Prue. She twirled around for her big sister to see "So?"

"You look great." Phoebe said with an emphatic nod.

"Do you think Vic-um Dad will like it?" she said nervously beggining to chew on her thumb nail

"I'm sure he will think you are stunning. He's your father remember?"

"Not by blood" she said massacring the nail

"Oh shussh, you of all people should know that means squat, being adopted by the Matthews and all. Now cut that nasty habit, its worse than the thumb sucking." Phoebe admonished her

"Don't bring that up, ever again. " Paige half pleaded half demanded

"But its so endearing, so unlike the only child you claim to be at heart."

Paige rolled her eyes "Yeah whatever you say. Is there anything else to do to be presentable?"

Phoebe smiled inwardly at her sister's reluctance to admit immaturity. However, the way Phoebe saw it she was a child. Even when she had been 22, there were times Phoebe thought she was dealing with a 5 year old. It made Paige who she was though. "Yeah. Take out that third grader's braid. Who did that to you anyway?"

"Prueee" Paige whined.

"Stop whining" Phoebe said feeling very much like a big sister and taking pride in it. "Now come over here so I can take it out"

Paige complied and scampered over to Phoebe. Phoebe did as she promised and removed Paige's braid, letting her sister's wild curls flow free. She was the only Halliwell with hair like that.

"Perfect!" She exclaimed cheerfully "Prue might be mad though I ruined her work though."

Paige shrugged as she rushed over to the bathroom to look in the mirror "This, however, is a much better look for me." she replied studying her delicate face that was only lightly made up from before Phoebe's arrival. "Do my eyes look blue to you?"

"No, Paige you know they are brown."

"But come look. " She prodded "Its like they changed colors!"

Phoebe, curious herself went over to check it out. Her sisters eyes had indeed become the shade of her shirt. "Oh my god Paige! It must be because you are half whitelighter!"

"Pardon?" Paige said cocking her head

'Its like that thing Leo does sometimes, whats it called..uh..oh I don't know. But Leo does it. Its a whitelighter power I think. It lets him change his face!"

"Phwoar" Paige said studying her new eyes further "I don't even know how to use it though!"

"Well, you did."

"Very good Phoebe, but what am I supposed to tell Prue?"

"I dunno. Try and change them back."

Paige shut her eyes tight and tried to concentrate like she sometimes saw her sister's do "Did they change?" she asked opening her eyes slowly

Phoebe looked up close into her face "Nope"

"Great" Paige pouted "Now I get to get in trouble"

Phoebe would've proposed another plan, she rather liked conspiring with her sister like they were normal, but Prue beckoned them from downstairs.

"Phoebe! Paige!" she called "Its time to go now, and by now I mean like actually right this second."

"Coming!" Paige called back before grabbing Phoebe and orbing both of them into their eldest sister's path.

Prue had a look of shock on her face when they rematerialized which turned to a frown as Paige grinned widely at her. "Now, what are the rules about personal gain youg ladies?"

It was Phoebe's turn to roll her eyes "Hey blame her" she said pointing to Paige who pointed at Phoebe in turn.

Prue shook her head at the two of them. "Well at least you are getting along now, or did you do something wrong?" she said studying her sisters carefully

Paige squirmed under Prue's glare quite untrained in the art of little sister poker face as Phoebe was.

"Oh my God, what happened to your eyes!" Prue exclaimed, not quite in the excited way Phoebe had minutes before.

Paige looked down at her feet and took to shuffling them "Well, erm, its quite a delightful story actually, you see I have a new power!"

"And you used it for personal gain!" Prue cried

"Yes, but it was an accident" Paige said imitating Phoebe's easiest way to get out of trouble, a baby voice. Normally, she wouldn't have resorted to such measures to stay out of trouble, but even she knew how touchy Prue was about personal gain

"I'll say it again, you two cannot hang out together anymore" Prue responded trying to keep a serious face, but failing "Now where is that Piper?"

"Here" Piper said coming down the stairs in a casual but still fancy enough top and pants like her sisters'. "And no, Leo is not coming. You know how dad feels about whitelighters"

Paige gulped.

"Guess we better go then" Prue said trying to round up her sisters "Out the door you three."

And of course, they followed.

Prue was trying to shake Paige off, because she was clutching to her like there was no tommorow. Piper was vaguely reminded of the first time she had taken Paige to preschool and she had been doing about the same thing. It suprised her that Paige, usually very sociable, was acting like such a nervous person. She knew though, that this was a hard time for her, and promised herself she would be there for her baby sister.

Prue had given up on trying to calm Paige down and instead just held her hand as they walked toward the restaurant, Cabana. It was known as one of the best latin places on the whole bay. It was new though, so none of the sisters had ever been there themselves. She gave her sister's hand a reassuring squeeze as they entered the restaurant. Prue practically had to push her through the door.

"Daddy!" Phoebe cried running toward a handsome man who two of the remaining girls knew as their father, but who was as much of a stranger to Paige as the waiter who was directing them to their seats.

"Hey Phoebe!" the man said in a way that could be described as whole heartedly, hugging his youngest-well not really anymore-daughter. "Where are those sisters of yours little lady?"

"Right here Dad" Piper said with a genuine smile as she too was hugged, as was Prue.

"You all look so much younger. And my Prue, its so good to have you back."

"Thanks Daddy" Paige heard her oldest sister say in a way that was so foreign. This scene was very awkward, and she just didn't fit in.

Then, what she heard next shocked her. "Paige, is that you sweetheart?" the man said

Paige looked up at him cautiously, she didn't know what to say. "My," he whispered "you look so much like your mother, and Prue, with those eyes of yours."

Phoebe giggled in the background, but stopped when Piper pinched her.

"I'm so sorry " He said "So very sorry, but please, if you let me, I will explain, to all of you."

Paige nodded, and was shocked when he hugged her

He apologized immediately after "I'm sorry, again. I know I'm nothing more than a stranger to you, but I want to change that. Its just, I've missed you your whole life."

Paige just nodded some more, she didn't know what to say. Victor seemed nice, and her sisters seemed to love him, but she didn't know what to make of him yet. Piper's words kept ringing in her head "you know how dad hates whitelighters." Dad. Hate. Whitelighters. It spelled recipe of disaster for Paige.

The 'family' sat down and Victor ordered a nice bottle of wine for himself, Prue, and Piper. "Sorry girls, looks like you aren't legal anymore" he said

"S'no Problem Dad." Phoebe said "Right Paigey."

"Nope, no problem at all." Paige replied a little too perkily.

They ordered their food next, but Paige couldn't even remember what she ordered. Some sort of salad she thought. Her mind was elsewhere though.

"Okay, girls, I know I have a lot of explaining to do so we might as well get started. So, my sweet baby daughter Paige, you are probably wondering why your mother and I gave you up for adoption."

"Yes" She replied politely, although slightly caught off guard by the way Victor was treating her, as if he loved her as much as he loved her other sisters. Could it be possible that he did?

"Well you see, your mother and I had fertility problems, but we nevertheless managed to conceive Prue, Piper and Phoebe with the help of fertility drugs."

"You never told us that" Piper said shocked

"It wasn't really important for you to know sweetheart." Victor replied "But back to the story. We were trying, with the help of the fertility drugs to conceive a fourh baby, but after a few months, still no luck. The doctor checked us out again, and found out that my sperm count was low and probably wasn't even healthy enough to produce anymore offspring. There was limited technology back then obviously, so they just sent us on our ways. Your mother and I were heartbroken. We wanted one more child so badly. The only alterative was a donor."

"Oh wow" Prue said "So you chose Sam?"

"Im getting to it honey. Yes, we chose Sam. You mother wanted to pick someone she knew and trusted just in case the baby ever wanted to know where she came from. Plus, there was none of that messy magical explaining to do. He harvested his spem for us, and it was implanted in your mother. The day I found out she was pregnant again was one of the happiest of my life Paige. You can't imagine the feeling of knowing you have another little girl on the way. I loved you before you were even born Paige. I hope you know that."

Paige was suprised by the answer but felt her head doing some more nodding in acknowledgement. Her story was much more complex than she thought.

"The day you were born, I was ecstatic. We were like any other normal family. Prue, Piper and Phoebe all came in to see you and I could not imagine a better moment in the world."

"But..." Phoebe said getting ready for the downside

"Well, I adopted Paige with Sam's consent, but then a few months later he took her away from us. In a sense he kidnapped her. We couldn't press charges, because no one would be able to find him. He was a whitelighter on the run. We finally got you back Paige but you just cried all the time, and you weren't yourself. The elders assured us you would be fine, but we were scared Sam would come after you again. So we did what we thought was best. We put you up for adoption. I'm sorry if we made the wrong choice."

Paige looked up into the eyes of this man who seemed to love her very much and saw that he was near tears himself.She felt hot tears coursing down her own cheeks. "What happened to Sam?" she asked

'He soul was recycled when he was found. Why sweetie? Do you want to meet him?"

"No, just, its, never mind. I was just curious." She replied. She knew her sisters understood what she was asking and would ask these uncomfortable questions to him later for her.

"Okay." He said attempting a smile and trying to get back into a normal mood " Boy this food is taking a long time" he chuckled falsely

"That's okay." Prue said noticing the patrons of the restaurant staring at their family. " It was nice seeing you again Dad, but I think this has been too much for Paige tonight. She's had a long day. Please, call us."

"You know I will" he responded with an understanding nod of the head. " I'l just have the waiter cancel the orders. Now come say goodbye to your old pops."

"Goonight Daddy" Phoebe said giving her aging father a big hug

" Night Dad" Piper said hugging her father as well

"Take care Dad" Prue said doing just the same

"Watch out for her, Prudence." Victor whispered in Prue's ear as they were embracing. Prue knew she would.

"Goodnight Paigey" Vicor said wrapping Paige in a loving hug which Paige suprisingly returned even though she was hysterical. "I love you."

That part though, Paige didn't return. She only knew that she loved three live people right now and they were her sisters. She wasn't ready to rely on anyone else.

"Call me if you have any questions." Victor told her "I'm here for you."

"Okay." Paige said "Bye"

"Bye honey."

"We'll be seeing you!" Piper called over her shoulder as they exited the restaurant into the night.

Prue had her arms protectively around Paige , who was taking full advantage of her sister's support. "Prue" she whimpered out sadly, it was not easy on her finding out that she had been taken from her home once before, and then given up to another family, all because of her sperm donor psycho biological father. At least Victor seemed nice, but now she had the pressure of being a good daughter to him as well and it seemed as though everything was caving in on her.

"Shh, Paige. You're not going anywhere ever again." Prue soothed her youngest sister, picking up on her fear of the events of her life recurring again.

Paige hoped that Prue was right.

They climbed into the car and Paige immediately latched unto Phoebe who was in the back with her. Phoebe rubbed her sisters back comfortingly, but couldn't help but feel the intense fear she was having. She felt the familiar sensation of a premonition coming, but she warded it off, knowing that she did not want to see what it probably would be of. Mastering her powers had given her choices, and tonight she decided to be selfish.

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Piper was awakened in the middle of the night by sounds of crying that she imagined Prue or someone would hear and respond to. She was in bliss here with her husband and she deserved at least a night of pure relaxation. She snuggled back into Leo's chest fully expecting the sounds to cease, but they didn't. Piper knew she couldn't just leave Paige hanging, because thats of course who it was.

She trudged out of bed, slightly annoyed that Prue wasn't doing this, but instantly felt guilty realizing she probably pulled herself out of bed more often for all three of her younger sisters than Piper ever would. Prue deserved a break more than she did, Piper decided.

Piper gently opened her sister's bedroom door to find nothing more than a sniffling ball of blankets. She moved over to them and pulled to reveal a sweating. miserable Paige, who wouldn't even open her eyes.

"Paige, honey, what's the matter?" Piper asked gently smoothing back Paige's hair from her forehead, but she didn't need an answer after doing so. Paige was burning up and looked as though she was in a lot of discomfort.

"Piper" she mumbled "Hot"

"I know sweetie. But I'm here now." Piper assured her sister

Paige just groaned as she fought a wave of nausea which was causing her to turn and clutch her side. "Piper" she shreiked as it sent awful shooting pains from her heart to her lower back. Never had she felt so sick in her life.

Piper was frightened at her sisters pain and moved to gather Paige into her arms. "Shh, Paigey, Shhh."

"It hurts." she mumbled as tears fell in large amounts "Prueee" she called out

"No, no, Paige, lets let Prue sleep okay? Just relax I've got you."

Paige shut her eyes as dizziness made her vision cloud. She had a migraine headache and took to clutching her head as though that would make it go away.

Piper had had enough. She took Paige in her arms and brought her the short distance over to the rocking chair and sat her youngest sister down on her lap, like she used to with Phoebe when she was small. She began to propel the chair back and forth as she looked at her mess of her sister in her arms. She had to stop comparing Paige and Phoebe and assuming that just because something made Phoebe feel better, it would work for Paige. She really didn't know Paige that well if you looked at it like she did.

She had met Paige, and the young girl had grown on her, whether she intended it to be that way or not. She came to love Paige, her bubbly personality, and her childlike abandon which made her so likeable to the older sister in Piper. Paige had listened when Piper spoke, and took her advice. Paige had become one of Piper's biggest fans.

Now, as she looked at this teenager in her arms, she didn't know where her funloving Paige had disappeared to. This Paige was as unfamiliar to her as the old Paige was when they had first met. But Piper loved Paige no matter what, and vowed to find out as much as she could about this person who was Paige, but was a completely different person at the same time.

Her thoughts were cut off by a sputtering from Paige followed by a series of violent hacking coughs. Piper was sure she was going to end up covered in throw up, but Paige just felt backwards, exhausted. Piper felt bad for her poor sister, but knew that she would be too overly exhausted to come downstairs to get medicine, and Piper did not want to leave her alone. She could carry Paige, but she wasn't sure if all that jiggling would fare well for her weak stomach.

"Here I know, lets read a story. Do you want to here a story baby?" Piper suggested

Paige took well to the coddling and snuggled into Pipers shoulder with a nod, as Piper pulled a weathered collection of Grimm's fairy tales from the nearby bookcase and started to read-well technically, she couldn't read because it was dark in the room, but she had read the story so many times she knew it by heart- from the first story in the book, which had been Phoebe's favorite, The Frog Prince-

"In the olden time, when wishing was having, there lived a King, whose daughters were all beautiful;but the youngest daughter was so exceedingly beautiful that the Sun himself, although he saw her very often, was suprised whenever she came out into the sunshine.

Near the castle of the king, lay a large and gloomy forest and in the midst stood an old lime-tree, beneath whose branches flowed a tranquil brook; whenever it was very hot, the King's youngest daughter ran off into the wood..." Piper began in a hushed voice

Paige let herself be carried away into the magic of the story and she soon nodded off, her and her sister in the positions they both knew they should be in.

**Haha you see! This is my gift to you! A ver ver long chaperoonie! See where guilt gets me? Lol. I hope to update again soon, but everything is relative. I hope you all enjoyed and that I have not done anything to upset you in the chapter. If so, I apologize :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm a bad person. Je suis desole. (I think thats how you say I'm sorry in French : D ) Forgive me. Cuz heres the next chapter.**

**Paige? Um yes!**

I wake up to find myself in the oddest of positions (story of my life), curled in the lap of my second oldest sister, with little recognition of how I got here. Don't really have much time to dwell on it though before I am overcome with incredible nausea.

So I rush to the bathroom and heave into the toilet. Not pleasant lets just say. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand even though I know its disgusting, although I'm too tired to care. This must have been why Piper was in my room when I woke up. Delightful. Now my sisters can say I told you so.

I curl over again, an arm clutching my stomach, and gag but with no relief. It hurts like a bitch. I would rather just blow chunks and get it over with.

This is like the second time I've been sick in a short time. I was sick right when I got back to my sisters, but that didn't really count becuase I didn't actually have the flu or a random virus like this must be.

I fall back against the doorframe and close my eyes. My head is pounding. You would think I had a hangover or somehing to that extent. I wish. Thats means this junk would be done with in 24 hours.

I feel someone come and sit behind me, tying my hair up in a ponytail, and then rubbing my back gently.

"I'm sick" I mumble even though its obvious

"You think?" Piper says and I should've figured it was her. "This is about the fifth time you've thrown up tonight, or today. Depends on how you put it."

"I must be senile 'cause I don't remember a second of it."

"Poor baby." Piper sighs kissing the top of my head "At least now we'll be able to keep you right where we can see you for a while"

"I don't wanna" I moan "How come I only get sick in summer?"

"You're weird." Piper jokes.

I would've smiled, except well more vomiting. I'll spare the details.

After a few moments of utter discomfort, I fall back against Piper who snatches a piece of toilet paper and wipes my gross mouth like I can't myself. Oh well. A little TLC never killed a girl before.

"Okay sweetie lets get you back to bed. You need your rest." Piper instucts afer a few minutes pass without me throwing up again.

"I don't think I can" I whine "I'm sore all over and everything hurts"

"Shhh, just relax. Thats all you're gonna do until you get better. Just relax." Piper soothes, helping me to my feet, and basically supporting me all the way to my bed where she tucks me under the covers.

"Comfortable?" she asks

"Oh yeah. This is definately paradise" I quip "You know, I really hate being sick."

"Join the club" Piper says with a smirk "Now sit tight while I call the pediatrician"

"But whos gonna keep me company?" I pout as she exits the room, folding my arms over my chest in disdain.

I'm not alone for long though, as Prue pokes her head into the room with a grin and plops herself down in the chair which swings back roughly with her movement.

"Whaddare you so happy about lady?" I frown

"I told ya so" she smiles as I stick out my tongue in response.

"Don't look so sad Paige-pie" she chastises me jokingly "I'm sure you've heard of the infamous Halliwell sickness treatment"

"Yeah and I want no part of it" I declare stubbornly

"Sure thats what they all say" Prue rolls her eyes at me. Well she sure is loving my misfortune. God I really need a break from my sisters.

I choose to ignore her in favor of my ever interesting finger nails, as she sifts through my things. "Ooo look the Grimm's Fairy Tales! You and Piper doing some summer reading?"

"Cute." I say sarcastically "I would have a witty response for you but I don't remember."

"I guess you have a pretty high fever then, huh? Poor Paigey." She says shaking her head sympathetically and placing a cool hand on my forehead.

Her look of cheerfulness almost instantly fades to one of concern as she does this. "Has anyone taken your temperature yet?"

"Dunno" I shrug with a yawn, more concerned with my nausea. "I don't feel well" I sigh

"I can imagine" Prue sympathizes. "Maybe I should get that thermometer. You seem pretty out of it."

"I am" I yawn, closing my eyes

'Hey. Hey. Don't fall asleep" Pue says shaking me slightly "Stay awake for a few more minutes until Piper brings the thermometer."

Her asinine shaking brings on an expected burst of nausea as I push past her agressively and sprint to the bathroom. I heave into the toilet fruitlessly, as I'm struck with extreme pains of my stomach clenching, but without any actual, you know.

Prue appears behind me and strokes my head "I'm sure its only the flu. It'll be over in 7 to 10 days"

"And I'm sure you've learned not to shake me anymore." I glare at her as she aids me in walking back to my bed.

"Well, you must not be thats sick if you've still got such an attitude." she states

"Its not like i'm on my death bed or anything" I retort climbing under my blankets and cocooning myself, sincerely counting on not having to get up again. I close my eyes and Prue does nothing to stop me this time. Good. Because all I want to do right now is sleep, forever.

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**Third Person**

Prue watched in interest as her youngest sister drifted off to sleep. It only figured that Paige would get sick, and Prue had trouble feeling terrible for her, knowing it was her own damn stupidity that brought her here.

Well, actually, Prue reconsidered that thought with a twinge of guilt, They had been pretty mean and condescending towards her the morning she had gone off. Melissa and her sisters had come over, and Prue for once was enjoying herself and not focusing on a sister for five minutes. But her reluctance to accept that Paige wasn't ever going to be normal again, had harmed her this very sister in the process, Prue realized as she remembered finding Paige looking miserable and alone the night before.

She was killling herself, Prue discovered finally taking the time to put the pieces together. And its all my fault.

She carefully pushed some hair away from her sisters burning forehead, wondering how she could've screwed someone up so badly. She had to fix it, and maybe showing Paige how much she really did care over the course of her illness could be a start.

Prue arose and exited the room going downstairs to see where her other two sisters, who were just as responsible for Paige as she was, were.

She double taked as she was met with the sight of Phoebe in full on makeout with none other than Cole, who had been missing for quite some time.

"Cole?" she questioned outloud, now understanding the reason why the once youngest hadn't yet paid a visit to Paige, that she probably would've appreciated.

"Hey Prue!" he said in that charismatic way which was all too decieving once you knew who he was. Prue took a deep breath, and a minute to remind herself that her sister was in love with this person. No matter how well she pretended, she would never like him, or trust him.

"Yeah, Hi, long time no see huh?" Prue said trying to keep a nonchalant front "What've you been up to?"

"Oh you know, just on the run from all those people who want to kill me. Nothing new." he joked "Yourself? Last time I checked you were long dead"

"Things change" Prue replied with a tight smile turining to Phoebe who was positively glowing. God, it disgusted Prue. "Pheebs, have you seen Piper?"

"Yeah she went out to the store. Not really sure what for though." Phoebe said breezily.

"I'll tell you what for" Prue snapped, getting a little ticked off "Paige is sick to her stomach"

"And this concerns me how?" Phoebe said blankly wrapping an arm around Cole's muscular form.

"It concerns you Phoebe Marie, because Paige is your sister"

"So, its not like its my fault she's a big baby and ran off when we had a fight"

"You know you should've gone after her, but thats besides the point. What has gotten into you?"

Phoebe and Cole shared a knowing look.

"Ug. Oh, too much information guys." Prue groaned feeling nauseous. Tales of her sister's sexcapades weren't exactly her favorite thing to hear.

Phoebe laughed. "Well we're going out for a while, you know to get something to eat and enjoy the beach. I'll run up and say hello to Paige though before we go."

"That would be sweet of you" Prue agreed, pleased to see that Phoebe still cared about her sister, even though they had been fighting way more than Prue would've ever expected lately.

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Phoebe climbed up the stairs and stepped into her sister' s strange room. She frowned as she saw Paige thrashing around under the covers, like she was being attacked or something of the sort.

She walked over to the bed, and held Paige down with both hands to stop her from jerking. She instantly ceased her movement and Phoebe let go, and started to run her fingernails up and down Paige's sweaty back.

"Aw Peanut." she sighed "Bad stuff always happens to you, huh?"

Paige whimpered softly as Phoebe continued to comfort her. "Guess what? You don't have to worry about me anymore, because Cole came back last night, isn't that great?"

Paige didn't answer, but Phoebe knew she would be happy for her. That's just the way Paige was. "I know you don't competely trust him or anything, but I promise he's a good guy. I love him Paige"

"And I love you too, no matter what you think. I'm sorry I'm really mean sometimes" she apologized "You just really drive me insane, but I guess thats what you were put on this earth to do." she said with a laugh.

"Alright, I'm gonna get going now." she decided taking one of Paige's pale hands in her own. She looked at it, and was struck because it had a bizarre yellow tint to it, not at all a color that was normally part of her sister's skin tone.

She pulled the bed's quilt away from atop her sisters body and lifted up her pink tee shirt that she had falled asleep in. Her stomach was yellow too, as was the skin on the rest of her body.

Phoebe continued scrutinizing Paige's body, trying to see what other strange things had been overlooked. She became extremely worried when she saw a series of raised red bumps clustering on Paige's neck.

"Prue! Prue come up here!" Phoebe cried concerened about her sister's bizarre symptoms.

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Paige's eyes fluttered open as both Prue and Piper rushed into the room.

"Phoebe, what is it?" Prue asked distressed.

"Come look." Phoebe instructed as she lifted Paige's matted hair up from her neck. "Do you see this?" she said indicating the rash

"What the hell _is _that?" Piper asked peering over Phoebe's shoulder to look.

"Also, her skin is yellow." Phoebe said, showing them Paige's discolored hand. "I don't think this is just the flu you guys."

Paige's chin quivered as she began to cry. Her head hurt, she couldn't think straight, and now her sisters were finding all these unexplained things wrong with her.

Instantly, she had three sisters comforting her. "Whats wrong sweetie?" Phoebe crooned hugging Paige

"I'm scared" she sniffed wiping her eyes " Am I going to die?"

Piper had to supress a laugh " No baby, you aren't going to die. We're going to go to the doctor later to make sure you're okay though"

"No!" Paige cried, her face into Phoebe's shoulder "I don't wanna go!"

Prue cringed at her hysterical sister's outburst, and wondered how to calm her down. "Don't worry honey, you are going to be just fine." she assured her sister, hoping she was right. "Now how about we take some of this nice medicine Piper bought for you?"

Paige pursed her lips defiantly. She just wanted to go back to sleep, but her fever racked brain made her think that refusal was going to help her achieve this faster.

Piper poured some thick red fever reducing medicine onto a table spoon and held it up for Paige to take. She eyed the spoon malevolently and turned over on her side.

"Paige." Piper said sternly "You need to take this, or else you are going to get even sicker."

"But.." Paige began just in time for Piper to pour the medicine down her throat. She grimaced and wished she could spit the medicine out, but decided to cooperate hoping it would make her feel better.

"Thats a good girl" Piper praised smoothing Paige's hair "You'll be better in no time"

Paige nodded in response as the phone began to ring.

"I'll get it, I'll get it" Prue said rising from Paige's bedside "You missy, just rest."

Prue walked into the hallway and answered the ancient wall phone, only a few meters distance from Paige's room.

"Halliwell residence" she spoke

"Prue? Hi its Darryl. Is Paige around?"

Prue took a moment to thank the elders how successfully their reversal was, that all mortals never even remembered she died in the first place

"Oh she's around all right, but she's terribly sick. I'll tell her you called though."

"No Prue, this can't wait. Since she's only 17 and you're her guardian I was going to tell you after I spoke to her, but it doesn't really matter."

"Darryl, please tell me what is it?" Prue asked wrapping the phone cord around her fingers nervously.

She held her breath as she heard Darryls voice develop a sad tone. "I don't know how to break this to you."

"Please Darryl, just tell me"

"I'm so sorry, but we've been sent a security camera video from a rest stop near where you're staying this summer. It..It showed some disturbing footage of a girl being attacked, and then raped."

Prue felt tears well up in her eyes "No"

"We've identified the girl as Paige"

Prue dropped the phone with a clank to the floor, because of her shaking hands and took a deep breath. How could she have let this happen again?

**Okay everybody. Theres the 12th chapter. Now I have to break some bad news to you. I'm going away on sunday for 7 weeks to sleepaway camp where I won't have internet access. I still have a lot to pack and get ready so chances are I'm not going to update again within the next two days. Sorry Charlies :( But I will update as soon as I get back. Don't desert me faithful readers!**

**D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello all! I'm back. Camp was awesometastic thank you very much, and I'm sure you'd love to hear all about but, I'd think you'd rather read this next chapter. Here it is. K thanks bye :)**

**Paige's PoV**

Just as I was getting relaxed, I am startled again by a harsh clank. My eyes blink open and I am met with Piper's soft gaze.

"Don't worry sweetie. That was probably Prue. You know her, miss butterfingers" she says with a reassuring smile, tucking my hair behind my ear "You just try and doze some more"

I nodd gently and close my eyes again, utterly drained, the worry of what was happening to my body still thick in my mind.

Its not long though before I'm alert again as I hear Prue enter the room. I leave my eyes closed, too exhausted to open them once more.

"Piper could you leave for a minute? I need to talk to Paige in private about something." Prue's voice says

"Whats so private that I can't be in here too?" Piper counters

"Its not that Piper, I just want to talk to her alone. It wont be long at all."

"She's sleeping though. I know you know she needs her rest."

"Its important. Please Pipe, dont make this into a big deal."

"Oh fine, but by the time I get up here with her lunch, this talk better be done with. I better go make sure Phoebe doesn't burn the house down anyway."

"Okay" Prue says, as I hear Piper exiting the room. I wonder what she needs to talk to me about?

I feel a plop next to me and a cool hand brushing my forehead. "My my Paige. You really are sick huh." she says with a sigh

I make a small noise and allow my eyes to blink open again, so that I'm staring into the concerned face of my blue eyed eldest sister.

"Hi baby" she coos comfortingly as she takes my hand in hers. "How're you feeling?"

I shake my head, not willing to exert the effort to speak.

"Not talking, huh? Well thats no good. You haven't done that in a while" she points out

What is she implying that I've regressed back to how I was before? Thats so illogical for her, especially since I was acting like my normal (and i use that term very loosely) self just yesterday. I pout at her in response.

"Okay, okay. I see you're playing the baby sister card. I'll let it slide" she jokes hoping to crack a smile out of me I guess. I don't. I'm too sick for her games. What does she have to talk to me about anyway?

"Listen Paige, I just wanted to let you know that if you have anything to tell me, like if anything's happened to you, or you're not telling me something, that i'm here for you and i will help you through whatever that is"

I catch on right away to what shes talking about and feel my eyes widen in shock. How could she know? What did I do to give it away?

"There is somthing, isn't there?" she presses

My eyes fill with tears and I turn away from her, mad that she knows my secret. She was never supposed to know.

She tries to get me to look at her again. "Paige" she says, attaching all of her concern, worry, dissappointment and frustration to that single syllable and she puts her hand on my shoulder.

I jerk away and despite my illness spring to my feet, furious. "What? What do you want me to say? You already know what it is don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about" she claims

"Liar!" I spit, heading towards the door of my room, which she jumps up to block "Get out of my way!" I shout pushing with all my force past her, even though my stomach is clenching.

I run down the stairs and toward our front door.

"Paige! You'll come back here this instant!" Prue warns

"No!" I cry back defiantly turning around to face her, while still backing towards the door

I go to turn and leave when a strong pair of arms grasps me around the waste and I typically dissolve into fever disoriented sobs within Phoebe's seemingly inexcapable embrace.

But before any of them can predict what I'm about to do, I'm up and away in a cloud of blue orbs.

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**Third Person**

Phoebe looked down in shock at her empty arms where her little sister had just stood. "Oh no" she said her hand coming to her mouth as she looked to her eldest sister for an explanation.

Piper ran into the room at this point too and stopped in her tracks. "I knew I heard yelling." she said "Someone please tell me Paige is still here, safe and tucked into her bed."

Prue looked up from staring at her feet with guilt, and bit her lip. "No, she orbed away"

Piper flung her hands up in the air, blowing up a wall clock, which often happened when she got extremely stressed out. "Jesus Christ Prue! What did you do to her!"

Prue looked up at her sisters. "You don't understand guys, that was Darryl on the phone. The rest stop we were in? Remember it?"

Piper and Phoebe both nodded, as tears started to course down Prue's porcelain cheeks "Paige was raped there, again"

The room suddenly became silent, as Piper's face fell, and the originally youngest sister broke down in sobs.

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**Paige's POV**

I stumble along the beach's boardwalk, highly self concious of my appearance, made worse by the many stares of the people around me.

The smells of funnel cake, hot dogs, and cotton candy suddenly become too much for me, as I rush to a garbage can and throw up several times in a row. So much for not having anything in my stomach.

I have no choice but to wipe my mouth on my hand, aware that people must think i'm homeless or something. Really what does it matter anymore though? I probably look as dirty as I feel on the inside.

They were never supposed to know.

My mind flashes back to the pained faces of all three of my sisters, and then to the night where I was raped again.

The emotions and pain all become too much for me, as I feel the world slipping out from beneath me, and everything shifts to darkness.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**Third Person**

Prue rushed to gather her other baby sister in an embrace

"Don't worry Phoebe, it'll all work out eventually" Prue reassured her bawling sibling. "Paige just needs us to be here for her."

"Thats the problem, Prue" Phoebe choked out "I wasn't here for her. I mean, there was clearly something wrong with her, and I just treated her like complete shit"

"You didn't know Pheebs" Piper said placing a hand on her sisters head "Besides you can always do the right thing next time"

Phoebe wiped her nose on her sleeve "I'm not going to let there be a next time" she stated , fury evident in her tone. "The second I find the bastard who's been doing this to her, I will personally kill him in the most painful way possible.

Her sisters sat back silent, having no real objections to Phoebe's idea. That's exactly what they wanted to do as well.

"But before we find that schmuck" Prue said, her voice strong and confident for the two younger witches " We need to find Paige, and get her back here."

"I'll call the police and have them keep a look out" Phoebe said rising as she wiped her tears

Piper, pleased that Phoebe was calming down, now having a task at hand, nodded " I'll get Leo and see if he can sense her. That'll be the fastest way"

"Is he even here?" Prue questioned the look on her face skeptical

Piper grimaced "Isn't that always the 20 million dollar question?" she said as she headed upstairs calling his name

"Get through Pheebs?" Prue asked her sister who was on the phone, becoming increasingly worried for Paige's well being. So many awful things could've happened to her.

Phoebe put up one finger, telling Prue to wait just a minute

"Okay, okay. Thanks so much officer" Phoebe said shutting off the phone

"And?"

"They've got her. Found her passed out on the boardwalk. She's off to the hospital now"

Prue gave a sigh of relief even though she was terrified for Paige's well being. There was so much she didn't know.

Piper stormed down the stairs and threw her hands up in the air. " Another elder meeting. They sure do love him up there"

"Its okay" Prue informed her sister "She's in an ambulance being taken to the hospital. I suggest we get there as fast a possible, so if she regains conciousness she sees we're there. Paige needs as much attention from us now as possible."

Piper's face was the epitomy of confusion. "Wait what? She's unconcious? Oh God"

Prue took a deep breath in trying to keep her emotions in check as well. "Unfortunately yes. So we better hurry up and start driving."

Phoebe looked thoughtful "The question is which hospital is she in?"

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Three hours later, the three sisters sat in traffic on the highway tired, and worn, but nevertheless determined to find Paige.

"I don't understand how the ambulance chose not to take her to the nearest hospital" Prue said smashing her head on the steering wheel, as the cars inched upward

"Lack of vacancies?" Phoebe ventured, only to be scowled at by a Prue who was at her wits end

"Are you sure the cops didn't say which hospital Phoebe?" Prue hissed

"For the last time yes. You don't have to be so mean to me." she replied slumping against her seat and pouting

"Did you even ask?" Prue pushed

Phoebe looked at her feet like a child in trouble "No"

"Well that was a smart one on your part" Prue continued taking her stress out on her second youngest sister who was now sniffing back tears

Piper resumed her role as mediator."Girls!" she cried "The last thing we need now is petty arguing. This isn't any of our faults, and the only thing we should be doing now is focusing on getting to Paige as fast as possible."

Phoebe and Prue quieted in response, as they continued creeping toward their baby sister. That was the one thing they shared. Their extreme love for the sick teenager.

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Dr. Fee of the childrens wing at the California Pacific Medical Center looked up from his clipboard as three young women, bounded into the hospital as the sun set. He knew who they were, and he was supposed to meet them.

They were also supposed to have arrived hours ago.

"Can you tell us where to find Paige Halliwell?" the raven haired sister breathed her voice filled with emotion

"So you must be the sisters Miss Halliwell woke up crying for." He threw in to make them feel guilty. It had taken his staff over an hour to calm to 16 year old.

"No one specified which hospital. We drove all over the place. Then we hit bumper to bumper traffic." Prue spat in her defense "Trust me, I wouldv'e been here sooner if I had a choice."

It was now the doctor's turn to feel guilty. He gave slight nod and looked her in the eye " I hate to say it but we have alot to talk about, which we should probably get to before you go see Paige."

Prue reluctantly agreed. She wasn't sure if she liked this doctor. " I'm Prue, Prudence Halliwell. My sisters, Piper, and Phoebe" she explained motioning to the other two women who stood beside her

"My pleasure." he said taking each of their hands "I'm Dr. Harold Fee. Paige is my patient. Lets go to my office"

"How's she doing?" Piper asked as they entered the well furninshed room

"Well there are a lot of ways to look at it."

"Just tell us everything, please. Don't sugarcoat it." Phoebe said

The doctor took a deep breath in "Well, first I have to ask you, is she sexually active"

Prue froze "She's just a child!"

"That may be so, but we need to know if she was raped today and we can't know without more extensive tests if she wasn't a virgin" Harold explained

When neither Phoebe or Prue spoke Piper had to take the lead. " She.. she.. she has been raped in the past, so no, she isn't a virgin."

The doctor looked taken aback. He wasn't expecting this. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"We are too." Phoebe replied solemnly

"Well in any case, we'll give her that test and see if anything comes up. I doubt it will since she was fully clothed whn we reached her, but its just a precaution. I'm guessing you know she's been sick?"

"Yes. She ran away into the rain the other day, and last night started showing some flu like symptoms. But then this morning her skin looked yellow, and she had this odd rash."

"Yes. She's still exhibiting these symptoms. She's also been nauseus, running a high fever, fatigued, among other things. These symptoms indicate a very specific type of illness"

"Which?"

"Hepatitis B. She should've been vaccinated, but i'm guessing she was just one of the lucky few who wasnt."

"Isn't that an STD?" Phoebe said quizically

"Thats also why we needed to know about her sexual history."

"Oh. Well how are you treating her?"

"We have her on the reccomended medicine, and she should be ready for release within a week."

"Perfect." Prue said

"But you'll have to keep a close eye on her. The yellow skin has to do with an attack on the liver, which could be permanently affected, even after we kill the hepatitis B"

"We always do." Prue reassured the young man, who seemed to be attacking her family with each litttle comment.

"When can we see her?" Phoebe questioned her voice tear choked at hearing the news of her sisters poor health.

"I would only reccomend one of you going in at a time, but we could do that as soon as you like."

The three sisters looked at each other.

"You can go Prue" Piper and Phoebe said silmultaneously.

Prue nodded and smiled at her sisters gratefully, as the doctor led her to her sisters room.

She opened to door and was instantly struck at the sight.

Paige was curled up in the center of the bed, her arms hooked to what seemed like so many machines and tubes. Her hair splayed across the white sheets, creating a sharp contrast and her face was relaxed and free of worry.Stuck in between her pink lips was her thumb, moving as she lightly sucked on it. Prue was amazed that Paige still held on to that bit of innocence despite how much she had gone through. It made her heart break even more for this sister, who so badly wanted to be an adult, but remained so much of a child.

Prue was then struck with a memory, one she had wished to access but couldn't up until this moment. It was of the last time she had been in the hospital with Paige, on the day of her birth.

_"Mommy! Mommy!" A eight year old Prue cried as she rushed into the bright room where her mother lay on the hospital bed holding a small pink bundle close to her._

_"Shhh, Prue sweetheart.Your new sister is sleeping." her mother told her gently_

_Prue turned and looked at her 5 and 3 year old siblings and put a finger to her lips, smiling as the two brunette heads nodded in understanding. _

_"Can I see her?" Prue asked eager to meet this new sister _

_"Yes! Can we see her?" Piper echoed her elder_

_"Of course" their mother said with a grin "Come meet Paige. Paige Elizabeth."_

_"Paige Elizabeth." Prue said with a thoughtful look "I like it."_

_"Me too." Piper nodded as she followed Prue over to their mothers side._

_"What about you Miss Phoebe?" Patty asked the toddler who holding Piper's hand "Do you want to meet Paige?"_

_Phoebe looked confused " My sister too?" she asked _

_Patty laughed "Yes, yours too. And you three have to look after her since she's your sister. Its your job to help protect her and to make sure she's as happy as she could be. Just like you girls do for each other."_

_"We will Mommy" Prue said looking with love at her youngest sister as two other little voices chimed "We will"_

_"And since she's the youngest you have to be extra careful to make sure she never feels left out and that she's protected."_

_"I promise" Prue declared_

_"So do I!" Piper said lifitng her chin a little bit in the air_

_"Me!" Phoebe shrieked not entirely understanding of her mother's word, but knowing if her sisters said okay, then it must be the right thing to do. _

_"Then here she is" Patty said voice light and loving as she placed the newborn into Prue's cradled arms "Paige, your little baby sister."_

_Prue watched as the infant blinked open her tiny eyes and stared up in interest at the girl holding her, who returned a gaze just as interested. She leaned down and kissed the baby's smooth head. "My little baby sister" she whispered, her life changed forever_

Prue came out of the memory and wiped tears away from her eyes. "My little baby sister." she spoke the words so full of love and endearment in the present, as she moved over to take care of her like she promised her mother she would.


	14. Chapter 14

**Updating in hopes that others will follow suit :) Its quite fluffy BTW**

**Third Person PoV**

Prue walked over to Paige's bedside and watched her baby sister sleep soundly as she pet her head affectionately. "Oh Paige, this cannot be fun for you" she sighed, feeling deeply for her youngest sisters situation.

Paige's eyes fluttered, a sign that she was awaking, but Prue continued to speak to her

"I just wish I could've found out sooner. I should've known from the way you were acting." Prue admitted guilty about her failure to notice

She took Paige's hand in her own "This is all my stupid fault"

Paige awoke as Prue said this and looked up at her with wide brown eyes, glassy from her high fever.

"Oh honey did I wake you?" Prue said bending down to kiss Paige on the head "It's okay, go back to sleep sweetie you're very sick"

Paige whimpered softly, she was so hot and had no idea where she was.

"Shh shhh. I'm here now" Prue reassured her sibling "I'm not going anywhere"

Paige gave a slight nod, still confused but aware she was safe with Prue by her side. She allowed her eyes, which were getting heavy to close again and fell into a weak slumber.

Prue smiled slightly at Paige's small form beneath the hospital blankets and watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed deeply. Her poor sister had been through alot, and Prue doubted she could afford to go through such trauma again. It was her perogative now to make sure she didn't have to.

She continued to wach her sister doze, until she was startled out of her trance by the door opening with a loud creak. She turned fully expecting to see her other two sisters, but was instead met with the stone gaze of Dr. Fee.

_What is this guys problem? _Prue wondered as she studied the doctor who shut the door behind him, allowing it to slam which again woke Paige up with a start.

"Don't worry sweetie, its just your doctor" she told her disoriented sister gently.

"I was telling you before about the rape exam we're going to need to perform. Its best we do that now before the evidence, if there is any, dies." He said grimly

Paige panicked at the mention of this and immediatly started bawling.

Prue's heart broke at the sound of her baby sister's cries so full of sorrow and fear they couldn't possibly be feigned. On instinct she pulled Paige into her lap, where Paige latched onto her neck and buried her head deep into Prue's shoulder. Prue cupped Paige's head with one hand and rubbed her back with the other, rocking her gently as she did so. She reasoned that now wasn't the time for tough love and instead focused all of her attention on calming down the sick girl.

"Don't worry baby, I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you"Prue crooned "No more tears now, eveythings fine."

Slowly Paige's deep sobs subsided to hiccupsas she succumbed to Prue's comfort. She knew Prue wouldn't let them hurt her. She wouldn't let them touch her that way. She stayed in Prue's arms loving the love she was getting as she continued to be rocked. Normally the coddling would've aggravated Paige to no end but in her illness it was just what she needed.

"There thats better." Prue said hugging Paige close, also enjoying this chance to comfort her sister, as she kissed her lightly on the head.

The doctor looked on skeptically. He lacked patience for families like these who would rather baby the sick individual than do what was best. "Time is running out Miss Halliwell"

Prue shot him her infamous death glare "I don't think nows the time. Can't it wait until she's calmer?"

"If shes not ready to do it now,she never will be. Sick or not, it must be done for eveyones sake."

Prue knew the doctor was right, but could not bring herself to force Paige into such an intrusive exam " Please don't make her go through this."

"I don't have a choice, its my job" he said sounding remorseful

Prue understood it was imperative she do what the doctor advised so she pulled Paige away from her shoulder and held her at arms length, causing her to immediatly dissolve into tears once again. "Baby, you have to go with the doctors for a little while, but I promise it'll all be over soon and then you can come back and sleep, okay?"

Paige shook her head violently and tried cling to Prue once again. Prue felt terrible for causing her sister such pain, but it had to be done.

A strong male nurse that had arrived with the doctor came and began to pry Paige from Prue. Prue had to look away from her sister as she struggled aimlessly against the nurse. She landed several kicks to his shins but he didn't seem to mind. Something told Prue he was used to handling distraught patients.

Paige hiccuped and reached for Prue.

"Prue" she choked out despite her hysterical crying which got worse as she was carried out the door for the exam.

"Can't I go with her?" Prue practically begged Dr. Fee "Please for her sake and mine"

The doctor shook his head "Someone should be there with her, but I'm going to suggest it be either Piper or Phoebe. She's way too hysterical as it is, and it'll probably only get worse if you accompany her."

"She would want me there" Prue insisted

"But perhaps its best for her if someone who doesn't baby her as much is there with her." The doctor retorted exiting the room

Prue was seething but could see the doctors point. Paige would only latch onto her since she knew she could get away with it. Piper would have to go, since she didn't know if Phoebe would be able to handle it emotionally.

She exited the room more pissed off than anything and found Phoebe alone in the waiting room, looking incredibly young as she watched the tv, her knees tucked under her chin.

"Hey Pheebs, you okay?" she asked sitting down next to her other baby sister and putting an arm around her neck.

"Yeah." she replied softly "How come they took Paige away?" she asked "She flipped out when she saw me"

"Oh that. Well honey they have to do the rape exam on her right now, as it turns out. She panicked and made it very hard for them to get her to go."

"Why couldn't they just leave her alone then?" Phoebe asked angry tears spilling from her eyes "She's been through enough already"

Prue kissed Phoebe's head and held her hand "It was a now or never sort of situation. I had to do what was best"

"You don't understand Prue!" Phoebe insisted "I've never seen her so upset. Shouldn't one of us go with her?"

"Well, I was just going to ask you where Piper was. They decided it will only make things worse if I go."

"Piper's not here anymore. She went to go get Paige some things from the house." Phoebe explained "I'll go"

"I don't know Phoebe. Do you really think you're up for it?" Prue asked worried

"Definately. Shes my only little sister. She has to know I'm here for her." Phoebe said "Besides I'm a big girl"

"I worry about you though, you know that" Prue told her

"And I wouldn't have it any other way" Phoebe said with a tight smile as she swiped away her tears and rose to go be with Paige.

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Paige continued to fight this stranger who held her tightly as he brought her into an examination room. She was so confused as to what happened and why she was here in this hospital. She just wanted her sisters.

The doctor, luckily a female was already in there and she watched as the nurse set Paige down on the special table. She noticed the girl was crying and immediatly felt for her.

"Hi honey, I'm Dr. Simon, but you can call me Beth." she introduced herself, hoping the girl would do the same. No such luck though as Paige remained silent.

"This is going to be uncomfortable, I know, but we have to make sure everything is okay. It won't take that long." She told Paige hoping that she would relax a little

Paige instead crossed her legs tightly making it impossible for the exam to be done, and the doctor's job became harder.

Beth wasn't exactly sure how to handle the situation, usually the children she saw had a parent with them to calm them down, but this girl seemed all alone. And terrified at that. It was obvious that she had undergone some sexual trauma at some point.

Just as Beth was trying to figure out what to do, the door of the examination room opened and a young woman who looked a decent amount like the teenager before her entered.

"Oh Paige! Thank God I found the right room" Phoebe exclaimed rushing to her sister's side "I'm her big sister" she told the doctor

"I see" she replied noticing the way Paige immediatly hugged Phoebe, who rubbed her sisters back gently.

"Is she cooperating?" Phoebe asked

"To be honest, not really. I need her to uncross her legs, if you can help me get her to do that."

Phoebe looked Paige in the eye "C'mon sweetie you heard what the doctor said, uncross your legs for her"

Paige wanted to refuse but she wasn't entirely sure how Phoebe would react to that. She certainly didn't want to be yelled at.

Cautiously Paige unfolded her limbs and allowed the doctor to check things out. As the exam began, Paige tensed up and started crying softly again.

Phoebe held her hand and squeezed it tight "It'll all be over soon" she assured her sister who had already started to panic. She knew this wasn't easy for Paige who was fragile when it came to such matters, and to top it all off exhausted with sickness.

After several minutes of the doctor poking around she stopped what she was doing and got up. "Well thats it girls. You can go back to your room now Paige"

she told them leaving the room

"That was vague." Phoebe commented with an eyeroll trying to get Paige who was still sniffling to relax."Thanks for behaving honey"

Paige gave a little nod "Can we go home now?" she asked innocently

Phoebe frowned slightly,upset she had to disspoint her sister "Fraid not Peanut. They say you're going to be here for another week."

Paige's chin quivered 'But I want to go home with you"

"I know kiddo, but it can't happen. You need to stay here so the doctors can take care of you" Phoebe explained

"You guys can take care of me" Paige argued, crying again

Phoebe sighed. It was useless to reason with Paige when she was in the right frame of mind, let alone when she was sick. Hopefully one of her other sisters could get through to her.

"Let's just get you back to your room where you can sleep" Phoebe said "Can you walk yourself?"

Paige shrugged and attempted to get up. She was instantly hit with a dizzy spell and fell back down.

"Guess not then. You're lucky I work out" Phoebe joked

Paige was too tired though to catch onto Phoebe's humor. She lifted her arms up knowing what was coming and Phoebe scooped her up.

"We'll have them get you a wheelchair" she told Paige knowing she hated not being able to care for herself "Then you won't have to deal with us anymore"

Paige didn't answer and just relaxed in Phoebe's arms, glad that her sisters were with her for the time being. Although, she still had no idea how she ended up in the hospital, and why they thought she was raped again. But, she was still too tired to fully care.

Phoebe returned her to the bright blue room, which was a refreshing change from the stark white blankness of other hospitals, and set her down on the bed. She tucked Paige under the covers hoping that she would fall back asleep, however Paige remained wide awake.

"Where's Piper and Prue?" she asked "They didn't leave did they?"

Phoebe shook her head."Piper went to get you some things but as far as I know Prue's still here."

"That I am" Prue said as she entered the room with Piper in tow "Look at you Paige wide awake"

Paige smiled slightly as Prue came over and hugged her. "Missed you" she said

"I know" Prue replied "Piper brought you some things from the house"

"Hi there Paigey" Piper said "I brought you some pajamas so you don't have to stay in that uncomfortable hospital gown and a couple of other things" she said holding up a bag

"Kay" Paige said through a yawn " I guess I'll go change now"

"One of us should help you out, you can't walk without getting dizzy anyway" Phoebe interuppted

"I'll come with you Paige" Prue said taking her hand to make sure she stayed steady on the short walk to the bathroom

In the bathroom, Paige sheepishly shed the gown and pulled the old Rainbow Brite shirt Piper had brought her, knowing it was her all time favorite for sleepwear over her head. She also pulled on a pair of weathered pajama bottoms, that weren't hers but had seen Phoebe wearing them many a time. The clothes hung loosely on Paige's small frame, making her feel even younger.The last time the shirt fit her without sticking up in certain areas she had been twelve. _And it had been another lifetime_ she reminded herself

Prue watched her youngest sister with a close eye to make sure she didn't faint as she did earlier which landed her in the hospital and when she was done changing she took Paige's hand again to support her back to the bed.

Paige climbed in and Prue lay down next to her, hoping to comfort her sister enough that she fell asleep, and they could leave without issue. Visiting hours were ending and they would all have to leave within the hour. She started to run her nails up and down Paige's back, causing her to get sleepy almost immediatly.

"Look what I brought" Piper said handing Paige Slappy "I thought you'd appreciate his company"

"Yeah" Paige said snuggling the doll close to her "Are you guys going to leave me here all by myself?"

"We don't really have a choice" Phoebe said trying to be as honest with Paige as possible "But we'll be back first thing in the morning"

Paige felt the tears return to her eyes and she turned away from her sisters

"Paigey, we're not doing it to hurt you" Piper pleaded

"I know but I still don't like it" she replied

"You should get some sleep anyway" Prue reasoned "And the sooner you get to sleep the sooner we'll be back"

"But I'm not tired" Paige whined even though she was, and her sisters knew it

"Do you want me to sing you a lullaby?" Prue asked sincerely knowing it would help her doze off, even if she didn't have the best singing voice

To her suprise, Paige nodded and closed her eyes. Prue started to sing "You'll be in my Heart" by Phil Collins gently to her sister-

_"Come stop your crying  
It will be all right  
Just take my hand Hold it tight_

I will protect you  
from all around you  
I will be here  
Don't you cry

For one so small,  
you seem so strong  
My arms will hold you,  
keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us  
Can't be broken  
I will be here  
Don't you cry 

'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more

You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart, always

Why can't they understand  
the way we feel  
They just don't trust  
what they can't explain  
I know we're different but,  
deep inside us  
We're not that different at all

And you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more

Don't listen to them  
'Cause what do they know  
We need each other,  
to have, to hold  
They'll see in time  
I know

When destiny calls you  
You must be strong  
I may not be with you  
But you've got to hold on  
They'll see in time  
I know  
We'll show them together

'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on,  
Now and forever more

Oh, you'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be in my heart, always  
Always"

When she was finished she was pleased to see Paige was fast asleep. She never realized how well the song fit Paige until she sang it to her. She bent down and kissed Paige on the head and then got up to let Phoebe and Piper do the same.

"Goodnight Paige, we love you" she said as she exited the room, temporarily trusting someone other than herself to take care of her sister, hoping they did the job well.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello All. I'd like to get a few more reviews this time than last. Thanks to you guys who always do, you know who you are. 3**

**Third Person(Yeah Yeah We'll have Paige's POV soon)**

Paige woke up in the middle of the night as she usually did for some reason or another and raced for the bathroom despite her dizziness. She heaved into the toilet and threw up for what seemed like the thousandth time, even though she hadn't eaten the whole day. She shivered, they had the air conditioner up way too high in the hospital and she knew she was all alone.

"I wish my sisters were here." she grumbled fighting another dizzy spell. She grabbed the cold surface of the bathroom's sink and stared at herself hard in the mirror.

Her face wasn't hers, nor was her body. She was certain she'd never recognize herself again. She was no longer Paige Matthews, but in a few short months had become Paige Halliwell, a girl with an unspeakably painful past.

She turned as she heard the door creak open. "Miss Halliwell?" a young women dressed in a nurses uniform asked "Dear, you shouldn't get up without calling a nurse to help you. You're quite sick right now if you haven't noticed."

Paige nodded as she felt her head swimming. She was too tired for a snappy comeback.

The nurse came and gently led her by the arm back to her bed, where Paige lay down compliantly. She covered herself with the gross scratchy hospital blankets that she had been provided with and tried to get warm, but she still felt like she had just taken an ice bath.

The nurse raised her eyebrows at Paige's chattering teeth "I think it might be time for another dose of medication" she stated, pulling a needle and syringe out of her lab coat.

Paige shrunk away from the object and shook her head emphatically "Just turn down the AC and i'll be fine" she insisted

The woman started to look exasperated "The air isn't on Paige. Its your fever doing this to you"

Paige refused to believe the nurse and backed away as the nurse approached with the needle. She didn't even know what was wrong with herself, and the last thing she was going to do was to let herself be injected.

"I don't know why they give me the night shift" the nurse said with an eyeroll as she seized Paige's thin arm and administered the shot. She left immediatly after, with not so much as a good night to Paige.

Paige grabbed her arm and let a few tears slide down her cheeks, remembering as she had during her doctor's visit the unpleasant times where she had been held down and injected with unknown substances as she had been tonight. She drew her knees to her chest and cried quietly until she passed out, the days hectic events catching up with her sick body.

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At the beach house, Prue paced back and forth through her bedroom. She was worried about Paige and felt decently guilty for leaving her alone at the hospital._ Parents stay at the hospital with their kids all the time. Sure I'm not her mom, but I'm sure I could've found a way to get the staff to let me stay..._

Just then the door squeaked open revealing a pajama clad Phoebe bearing a steaming cup.

"Phoebe, what are you doing up? It's 1:30 AM!" Prue chided her younger sister

"I could ask you the same now couldn't I?" Phoebe quipped sitting down on Prue's bed "Made you some tea" she said offering the cup to Prue

"Thanks kid" Prue said taking the cup gratefully and plopping down next to her sister "Why're you up so late?"

"No reason" she said with a shrug "What about you?"

"I asked you first" Prue said looking intently into Phoebe's eyes "You were never good at hiding your feelings Honey Bee"

Phoebe blushed at the use of her childhood nickname "You haven't called me that since I was 5"

Prue smirked "So tell your big sister whats bothering you"

"Its just well.." Phoebe began breaking a little "We haven't gottten to spend a lot of time together since you've been back, and I've missed you" she said coming clean

"Oh Phoebe I had no idea. C'mere" she said pulling her little sister into a big hug "I'm sorry if i've been neglecting you"

Phoebe shook her head "No its no that its just, I guess it'll never be like it used to"

"Well no, but thats because we have a new sister with us now, and I know its a bit of an adjustment but.." Prue trailed off as a thought dawned on her "Are you jealous of how much time I spend with Paige?"

Phoebe looked away and didn't answer her sister's question, but that was enough of a response for Prue.

"Phoebe sweetie, look at me honey" she said turning her sisters face towards her "You don't need to be jealous. You're still my baby sister and I love you more than anything"

"Not more than Paige" Phoebe said quietly once again looking away "Sorry, that was stupid"

"Your feelings are never stupid. I don't love Paige more than you, I love all of you guys equally. Its just Paige needs more of my attention now, thats all. But I'm still here for you always. I guess we need to have some more Prue and Phoebe time"

Phoebe gave a little nod " I love you too, Prue"

Prue kissed her on top of the head "I know. Hey what do you say you go get some rest. Tommorow will probably be another busy day."

"Kay" Phoebe replied with a yawn

"Besides, Cole's waiting" Prue said with a wink hoping to get a smile out of her sister

"Yeah Cole" Phoebe said quietly, her voice distant again "Well goodnight Prue"

"Night sweetie" Prue replied as Phoebe exited and shut the door behind her.

Prue sighed heavily. Something was definately up with Phoebe, and _It involves that no good boyfriend of hers_ Prue thought. She would have to pry deeper in that issue tommorow. But before or after she visited Paige? She shook the thought out of her head for the time being and taking her own advice, she fell asleep.

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As the sun rose, Paige woke up once again in a heavy sweat. She was sticky, and uncomfortable, but it was a good sign. Her fever had probably broken in her sleep.

A nurse shuffled in and smiled widely at her patient "Good, the medicine's working. Are you feeling better?"

"A little" Paige said realizing she wasn't as hot or out of it as she was the day before "Do you know when visiting hours start?"

"Thats probably the question I get asked most. I know its boring here. Visitors start coming within the next hour. Until then just sit tight and maybe watch TV. The remotes on the side table. Call if you need anything" The nurse provided with another smile

"Thank you" Paige said as the nurse left, glad that all nurses weren't as bitchy as the one she had the night before. She was feeling decently better. _The medicine must be working_ Paige thought

She flipped on the television, and after a few minutes of channel searching she realized, there really was nothing on, in addition to the fact that the TV was programmed to only play kids channels.

"Well Nick Jr. it is then. Not that I have much of a choice anyway" She said with a grumble as she turned on the decided program. "Oh look Dora the Explorer. What a Hit."

She half watched the cartoon in front of her, but was more focused on the pending arrival of her sisters. She could use some familiar company. Even though they had been there just yesterday, Paige felt somewhat lost without them. But all she could do was relax, and wait.

"Into Dora the explorer now?" the sarcastic voice of her once oldest sister quipped as she strode into the room

"Piper!" Paige cried happily holding her arms out for a hug which Piper accepted "They annoyingly enough have the tv set to only G channels. Can you get them to take that off?"

"Woah. Someone's feeling much better." Piper said putting her hand to Paige's forehead "No more fever"

Paige responded with a smile "When are Prue and Phoebe coming?"

"They'll be here soon. You know how hard it is to get them both out of the house." Piper said with a grin "How was your night last night?"

"Awful" Paige replied with a frown "The night nurse was so mean"

"How so?" Piper asked concened, moving to lie down next to her sister on the bed

"She gave me a shot" Paige whined raising her arm for Piper to see the place she got poked

"But look how much better you're feeling now" Piper mused "Is that all?"

"No, she didn't say goodnight and told me I have to call a nurse even if I just want to go to the bathroom" Paige sighed"I do not need an escort for that sort of thing nor do I want one, especially a stranger"

Piper understood Paige's frustration and gently ran her fingers through Paige's hair "Okay, Okay. I'll talk to them about it. I get you're not a helpless baby, and I suppose they should too. We'll figure something out, but they're just thinking of your safety."

"I know." Paige groaned.

"By the way, you definately need a shower" Piper said pinching her nose in exaggeration

Paige stuck out her tongue "Its not nice to taunt the ill. What exactly is up with me anyway?"

Piper froze at having to explain what was happening to her baby sister. How could she possibly tell her that she had an STD which may never fully go away?

"Piper, I really do not like that sort of silence." Paige said her rising stress level evident in her voice "Tell me"

"No, Paige. You have nothing to be afraid of, its just that-"

"Oh I knew it. I called it. I'm dying"

"God forbid Paige! Stop with that nonsense"

"I would if you would just tell me." the young witch replied with an indignant look on her pale face

"This is probably going to be hard for you to hear, but I promise you'll get through it."

Paige looked as if she was going to interrupt as a fearful look flitted over her face, but Piper stopped her by pressing a finger to her lips.

"Just let me finish. Its not as bad as you think."Piper said "I guess I shouldn't butter it up or anything. Well, the fact is you have an STD"

Paige's eyes grew wider than Piper had ever seen them "You have Hepatitis B. Its attacking your liver and thats why your skin was a little yellow. It also explains the rash and everything else. Don't worry though sweetie. Their treating you and everything is going to be fine."

This revelation was a little much for Paige as she realized that the only way she could've gotten it was from that nasty demon who had been with who knows who.

Piper swore she saw her sister's face go green as she leaned down and puked right onto her cowboy boots.

"Paige! These were brand new!" Piper originally cried out in disgust at what had just happened, before realizing the last thing Paige needed was to be scolded.

Paige's brown eyes filled with tears "I'm sorry Piper, I didn't mean to!" she said in guilt as she looked at her sister's horrified face. "You can have any pair of mine you want!" she begged

Piper felt awful enough at her reaction and Paige's regret at something she couldn't control made it even worse. "Its okay sweetie." she said trying to give Paige a reassuring smile "I'm just going to go get cleaned up and have Prue bring over some new shoes for me. I'll be right back" she added leaving Paige behind as stepped into the bathroom for a minute.

She watched as Piper returned carrying her boots like they were contaminated and as some maitenance person came and cleaned up the mess. She was feeling pretty crappy about herself right about then.

To her suprise, Piper came and lay down next to her once again. "So, I guess you aren't 100 better then" she quipped

Paige blushed and turned to look at the television, trying to avoid Piper. Her sister had to be madder than she seemed.

"Paige, seriously, i'm really not mad at you. It's not your fault your tummy is messed up" Piper said wrapping Paige in a comforting hug, which she at first resisted "I'm sorry I snapped at you"

"Its okay" Paige replied sincerely "I would've done the same"

"Aww look Pheebs they're having a moment" Prue cooed as she walked into the room

"How sweet" Phoebe chimed in

"Oh look its the indolent sisters" Piper said with an eyeroll as she got up and Prue and Phoebe came over to hug Paige

"Cute" Prue said giving Piper a look "So Paigey-Pie, I hear your fevers all gone"

Paige nodded and tried to smile "Yeah, but my stomach isn't so hot"

"I know sweetie. By the way, I brought the shoes Pipe" Prue said holding up a shopping bag

"Thanks sis" Piper said gratefully taking the bag and putting on a different pair of boots

'Have they fed you yet in this joint, Miss Paige?" Prue asked realizing that her younger sister probably hadn't eaten in 2 days, which wasn't healthy, despite the fact she was so thin anyway "That could be making you even more nauseous"

Paige shook her head "Not yet. Its getting pretty late for breakfast too."

"I'll go ask" Phoebe volenteered exiting to go find out about the food

Piper gave Prue a look that said "What's up with her?" She had noticed something off with her sister that day. Prue just shook her head, indicating they could discuss it later.

"You know guys, I'm right here. I'm not a little kid, you don't have to whisper behind my back" Paige scowled at her eldest sisters, fairly sick of being left out of everything

_Busted_ Piper thought "Sorry Paige."

"Yeah sorry" Prue said

Paige frowned "Well, its not like I thought you'd fill me in anyway." Paige retorted, a little pissed that her sisters thought because she was the youngest they should leave her out of their "grown up" discussions. Phoebe was her sister too, and she talked to her more about her problems then they thought. Piper and Prue were sadly mistaken if they thought Paige hadn't noticed Phoebe was acting strange.

Phoebe returned a moment later "They said they'll be bringing it in a minute" she provided. Her face quickly contorted into a strange look " Why do I get the feeling you were talking about me?"

"We weren't' Piper said which was entirely the truth. No one had said a word about Phoebe, but they had communicated.

"Fine whatever you say" Phoebe grumbled obviously not buying this answer

"I bet this food's going to poison my poor system" Paige quipped trying to ease the tension. Besides, Phoebe would come talk to her later and she'd tell her everything. It would be good sister bonding

"Too bad. Because I'm going to make sure you eat it" Prue insisted as a nurse brought a tray of some food in " It doesn't look that gross anyway"

Paige regarded the tray in front of her with disgust. Oatmeal, major ew. Crackers, eh. Pedialyte junk to help her get more electrolytes, blech. Her parents used to make her drink a shitload of that stuff when she was little and had a stomach virus. There was also some fruit which was really bad for her stomach.

She put a hand to her mouth as she was overwhelmed with nausea, but she kept it down. "You know guys, I'm really not very hungry after all"

"Oh no. Don't play that card with me young lady" Prue said sternly sitting down next to Paige "It didn't work the last time you were sick and it won't work now. You haven't eaten in days, and if you keep it up you won't be feeling better anytime soon."

"But my tummy hurts" Paige whined childishly pushing the food tray away "I won't eat it, and don't you dare try to feed me Prudence." she warned as she watched her sister scoop some oatmeal onto a spoon

"Paigey you have to eat something" Prue insisted "Look at yourself. It isn't good."

"I eat at home and when I'm not sick!" Paige cried shocked that her sister was calling her out on something so untrue

"Not nearly as much as you need to be. And now that you're here and I have some control over you, I'm going to do something to change that" Prue explained rather rationally

"I'm going to throw up whatever I eat" Paige replied defiantly "Anyway, its too gross to even fathom putting near my mouth. Have you ever seen me eat oatmeal. No. Because I hate it"

"Here I'll even try it" Prue tried as a last effort taking a bite of the oatmeal. Her face immediatly looked disgusted as she spit it out in a napkin "Uch yuck. Sorry sweetie. You never have to eat that crap"

All of the other three sisters were laughing. "However," Prue continued "You do have to eat the crackers and drink the Pedialyte. Those things will make you feel better. I promise."

"Oh all right" Paige caved with an eyeroll, realizing she had gotten off easy "I won't like it though"

She cautiously ripped open the cracker packet and nibbled on one of the saltines. It wasn't that she was purposely not eating, she just wasn't hungry. She eventually finished the two crackers she had been given , and was grateful her stomach seemed to be handling them.

"That's my girl" Prue praised, pissing Paige off. "Now drink up" she instructed handing Paige the plastic bottle of Pedialyte.

Paige took it with a frown. She would drink when she was thirsty. "I'm not thirsty either" Paige insisted

"Do you always have to be so difficult?" Phoebe asked her "You're probably dehydrated so instead of being stubborn and getting yourself holed up here for another week, why don't you just drink the crap and get it over with?"

Paige, shocked at Phoebe's rare showing of sterness quickly chugged down the blue liquid much to her distaste. It was gross. "They could have at least given me gatorade" she stated bitterly

"You know that stuff does nothing" Prue said shaking her head "Well, I feel better now that you have something in your system, and I'm sure you will soon too"

"Whatever" Paige said nonchalantly

"You know, you're really much sweeter when you're sick and helpless" Prue pointed out

"Are you implying that i'm less cute when I don't have a 101 fever?" Paige asked with big puppy dog eyes and a pout

"No, just more likeable" Piper joked in response.

"So when are you guys going back to the beach house? Today's a nice day you shouldn't be cooped all day here with poor little STD ridden me" Paige said subtly testing her sisters' devotion to her

"There will be plenty more nice days when you get out of here and we can all go together" Piper replied. Did Paige really think they wouldn't be with her for as long as they could?

"Besides, we still have some work to do here" Prue said "Unless you want one of the stranger nurses to help you shower"

"I can do it myself" Paige argued. She was feeling much better, and she could be left alone when it was time to be left alone. She was a teenager, not an infant "I'm not a little kid"

"I know, but you're sick, and you need to be supervised because you're still prone to dizziness and I'm not going to risk you cracking your head open if you faint" Prue argued right back

"You can't make me shower" Paige said snuggling into Prue "I'm sooo tired" she added with an exaggerated yawn

Phoebe smirked at her little sister's antics "C'mon Paige. I'll go with you" she said motioning for her little sister to get up "Seriously, before you end up in there with some freakshow nurse later tonight"

Paige still shook her head. "Just let me go myself."

"Fine" Phoebe said putting up a hand to stop her older sister's sure to come objections "If you can walk to the bathroom without getting dizzy, then i'll leave you alone"

"Deal" Paige said glad Phoebe was trying to help her win this fight. She got up and walked a couple of steps. Then, despite herself she did in fact get dizzy, and stumbled backward right into Phoebe

"I win" she said matter of factly "See you guys in a few" she told her other sisters as she ushered Paige to the bathroom.

"Well, thats a big change from her attitude before" Piper noted looking to Prue

"Which sister?" Prue asked sarcastically

"Now that you asked, both actually. But I really meant Pheebs"

"Oh that. She was feeling a bit crappy last night and confessed to being a little jealous of Paige. I talked to her a little about it this morning, but she still seemed a little off. I guess it showed. Thats probably not the whole issue. I think shes having problems with Cole"

"Cole?" Piper asked "Yeah maybe. She also probably feels guilty, like this is in some twisted way all her fault. Typical Phoebe"

"I see your point. We'll talk to her later."Prue said "You know, I kind of miss clingy Paige"

Piper laughed "She's certainly easier to handle"

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A few hours later, Paige was all tucked up in bed as the visitng hours winded down. She was clean, and in a fresh pair of pajamas, lying next to Phoebe on her bed while the two eldest sisters went to get coffee. She was actually pretty content for the moment as her big sister played with her black curls.

"They're worried about you" she said turning to look Phoebe in the eye who raised an eyebrow in disbelief "When you went to get my food they did that eye chatting they love"

"Oh that. Well, I sort of had a little breakdown in front of Prue last night" Phoebe admitted finding it very easy to open up to Paige

"Why?" she asked curiously, not being able to imagine Phoebe as the breaking down type

"To be honest, it was dumb really, I was feeling jealous of you and the attention you get"

Paige's eyes widened. She was not expecting this. " Because you're not the baby anymore?"

"Something like that"

"Oh."

"Its not your fault or anything sweetheart" Phoebe assured Paige "Its still an adjustment"

"Tell me about it." Paige agreed "Is that it?"

"No, Cole's been acting weird again. I just don't know what to do. Its so hard to deal with his ups and downs. I just don't know if its going to work between us"

"Don't say that!" Paige shreiked putting her hands over her ears "I know I'm not president of the Cole Turner fan club, but you love him! Just talk to him, I'm sure he'll explain it all"

Phoebe leaned over and kissed her baby sister on the cheek "You give really great advice Peanut. I'm glad I can talk to you"

"Me too" Paige said with a smile "About the whole attention thing, I'll try and get them to lay off."

"No sweetie don't. You're the baby now, and you deserve the attention because you lived your whole life without it. I've had my fair share."

"Whatever you say, i'd be happy to get some space" Paige grumbled

"I highly doubt that" Phoebe said hugging Paige tight "You don't know what you've got till its gone"

"Please don't start singing" Paige teased

"Phoebe's actually a good singer" Prue said as she re-entered Paige's quarters "We got you some tea baby" she said handing Paige a steaming cup

"And coffee for you Pheebs"Piper said handing Phoebe her cup.

"Thanks guys" the two sisters said simultaneously causing them to laugh "Jinx!" they said, again on cue with each other

"You guys are annoying" Piper joked wrinkling her nose, and was answered by two stuck out tongues

Another nurse shuffled in carrying a shot full of Paige's meds. Paige immediatly grabbed Phoebe's arm and buried her head in Phoebe's hair "Tell her to go away" she said through gritted teeth

Phoebe pried Paige off her, her sister did sometimes get annoying. She saw she had panicky tears going down her face and she felt guilty, but knew Paige needed the shot to get better.

"Time for your medicine" the nurse said with a small smile "It'll only hurt for a second"

"Prue come hold my hand" she said seizing her eldest sister and pulling her down next to her. Prue complied and rubbed circles on Paige's back, knowing how unpleasant shots were for Paige because of her past.

The nurse poked Paige with the shot and and then left the room, as abrubtly as she had entered. Paige opened her eyes which were squeezed shut and released her grip on Prue's poor hand.

"See that wasn't so bad" Prue said smoothing down Paige's hair "But sadly honey, its around 9 and we better be going again"

Paige frowned and looked at her oldest sister "But I feel better! I want to come home with you guys!"

Prue frowned too. The leaving was always hard. "Baby, we're going to come back first thing in the morning. You still need to be here until the doctor's say you can go, and i'm not going to argue with the professionals. Do you want another lullaby?"

"No" Paige said defiantly crossing her arms "I want to go home with you"

"That just isn't going to happen" Prue replied quickly becoming impatient "Do you want to have a nice goodnight or have us leave on a bad note?"

Paige's eyes had tears in them again. She hated being in this hospital by herself. It was too scary "What if a demon comes and tries to attack me?"

"They won't. Not in such a public place." Prue reassured Paige. "Come sit in my lap honey."

Paige did so,even though she was mad at her sister. Prue began to rock her gently, even though she was way to big for such coddling.

"I'm too old for this" she whined overtired and irritable

Prue ignored her and kept doing it. Paige eventually relaxed and quickly dozed off.

"You're good" Phoebe complimented as she watched Prue tuck Paige in

"Yeah, but I wish she didn't resist so much. It breaks my heart" Prue sighed

"I guess we have to face that she's growing up." Piper said "We would've never even gotten that close to comforting her when she was 22. I guess you take what you can"

"I guess" Prue said, still wondering about Paige's stubborn flair as the three sisters exited and left their youngest member in a place she completely despised.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello there peeps :) I have not deserted you and have returned bearing another bountiful chapter.**

**Paige's POV Finally!**

I feel a humid mist graze my cheek and reach my hand up to swipe the spot still dazed by sleep. A low growl wakes me though and as I open my eyes I am pierced by fear.

Standing before me cloaked in the shadows his hulking, imposing body stands. I squeeze my legs tightly closed on instinct. I think i'm going to pee my pants.

"Gotcha" He breathes forcing his lips onto mine. I push him away, scrape his thick skin with my nails , anything to fight him off. He moans in pleasure.

"You know how I like it." He comments sadistically running a finger over my lips. I lash out and bite him as hard as a can.

"Bitch!" He screams pulling back and then extending his hand with a burning fireball in it. "Very bad witch" he taunts throwing it a me.

"Fireball!" I call it into my hand throwing it back at him, trying hard to ward him off. He is knocked back by the force and shimmers out leaving me terrified in his wake.

Then suddenly, I am alone in my hospital bed sweating, like nothing happened at all. It feels like I was asleep or in a daze or something.But it was so real. It couldn't have been fake.

I shake in anguish, unable to wrap my mind around what just happened and soon the tears fall. I need my sisters. My eyes scan over to the phone laying on my bedside table and I scoop it up, my lifeline.

Carefully I punch in the beach house's number that Prue left next to the phone for emergencies. I think this qualifies as one. I wait as the ring goes, and keeps going, worrying that no one will pick up.

"Do you know what time it is?" a raspy voice groans over the phone that I recognize as Prue's.

"Prue?" I say in a small voice knowing my sister's notorious dislike for being woken up first hand

"Paige!" she says alarm in her voice."What's wrong?"

"He-I-He was here-I-I" I stutter out not really sure how to articulate myself "I'm really scared"

"He as in the demon? Sweetheart, are you sure it wasn't just a nightmare?" Prue asks doubtful already

"It was real! I'm not making it up" I insist my tears getting stronger "Prue, I wanna go home"

"Baby, I know you're really upset right now, but I can't just get up and come get you at 4 in the morning" she sighs "You need to stay in the hospital until you get better"

"Yes you can! You can, you can you can you can you can!" I insist "I'm not sick"

"Paige please don't do this to me. I have to be firm with you about this."

"You don't even love me do you?" I accuse her pushing buttons that I know might get her to give in "You never did and you never will!"

"That's ridiculous!" Prue yells over the phone and I just cry directly into the reciever so she knows whats she's doing to me. I keep doing so until I hear Piper's voice in the background and hang up the phone. So much for Prue.

I have a plan though so its okay. Its not a smart one, but it is a good one.

First I picture an outfit hanging in my closet and hold out my hands "Jeans and sweatshirt" I call in a whisper and smirk as they appear in my arms.

"Very nice. Now how about Hospital sign out sheet?" I suggest and am pleased to get those items as well. I print my name and forge Prue's signature to the T.

If she won't do it for me, i'll do it for myself.

I orb the sheet back and straighten up my room. Then, I change into my clean outfit and orb my other stuff home. It looks like nobody ever stayed here. Perfect.

All thats left to do is try and use my glimmering to alter my appearance in just the slightest so nobody will recognize me. I wave my hand over my face and gape at my fully makeuped appearance, straight hair, and now green eyes. This power kicks ass.

So far so good, and all thats left is to orb up and away. You can be sure I'm not going home. In fact, I can't really think of a better place to go at the crack of dawn than to a night club. Well, they probably won't let me in, so i'll just have to settle for a really late night movie.

So long hospital.

I orb out to the movie theatre that we passed coming into town on our way to the beach house. Its still pitch black dark out, and I wonder if i've done the right thing. I mean, there could be a demon after me and everything. But I have to show my sisters. They just don't understand me, and if I have to be alone I might as well be alone somewhere other than a hospital.

It doesn't take much to see that its closed, but I can't go back to the hospital. There's no turning back now. I eye the front of the theatre trying to think of something to do, and spot a figure sitting hunched against one of the walls under the awning.

Its a boy about my age, shaggy blonde hair, sleepy blue eyes. Just kind sitting there staring off into space. It makes me sorta sad really. He looks lonely, like me.

I muster up the confidence to go and sit down next to him. He glances at me as I do so and gives a little smile.

"What brings a kid like you here?" he asks his voice gruff and deep

"I could ask you the same thing" I reply looking into his eyes " I'm Paige"

"James" He says with a nod "How old're you anyway?"

"16" I say "You?"

"Same."

"So what are you doing here? Its not really the ideal hang out spot you know"

"I come here alot. My mom is never home she's always out drinking or something with her jerk boyfriend and sometimes I need to just leave and think"

"I know how you feel." I nod pulling my arms into the sleeves of my sweatshirt "Do you live around here?"

"You ask alot of questions Paige" He says with a smirk "Yeah I live about 10 minutes away by car. A slightly longer walk"

I nod

"So now let me ask you some things. Really, what are you doing here? Why come and sit and talk to a bum like me?"

"This is gonna be a long story" I sigh "But it seems like we both have time"

"More than I know what to do with"

"I was in the hospital. I've got Hepatitis cause some guy raped me, but I ran away" I explain "There's my pretty story"

"Seriously? And you're still wandering around the streets in the middle of the night?" He asks eyes opening a little wider "You should go home. Your parent's will probably have a heart attack."

"I didn't peg you as a goody two shoes. My Mom's dead and my Dad's a deadbeat" I frown talking about my biological parents. I couldn't possibly explain everything to this kid.

"I'm sorry. At least I've still got my Mom left but my Dad's a deadbeat loser too. You live alone then? Foster care?"

"Nah. I have three older sisters who torture me"

"You love them?"

"I-I guess" I say caught off guard by the question "The oldest Prue wouldn't come get me from the hospital so I ran away"

"Bad girl" He jokes "Prue sounds like a real winner"

I shrug "Half the time she treats me like a baby and the other half of the time she couldn't give a rat's ass"

"The others any good?"

"Piper and Phoebe are okay. Still way too overbearing for my taste."

"Yeah. Where do you live?"

I tell him my address and he grimaces "Spoiled little rich girl"

I shake my head "God no. Its their Dad's house. We're only half sisters. He wants to be my dad too"

"I'd tell him to fuck off"

"Believe me, I wish I could. So I guess we're just two angsty teens running away from our problems then." I comment

"Couldn't have said it better myself." He pulls a cigarrette out of his pocket, but its not one of the regular ones. He sticks it in his mouth and lights up, inhaling deeply before passing it to me. "Escape" he urges

I look at the marijuana in my hand and shrug off my conscience. As James said, I'm a bad girl. I too place it between my lips and suck in hard. Relief.

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**Third Person**

Prue hung up the phone after her rather unpleasant conversation with Paige and turned around to Piper who had entered her room moments before.

"Was that who I think it was?" Piper asked rubbing her eyes sleepily. "You were yelling"

"Yeah, it was Paige. She wanted to make me come get her" Prue said exasperated 'But she's sick and she has to stay there"

"What was she doing up so late anyway?"

"She said the demon was in her room and that she was scared. She kept crying. I don't know Pipe"

"And you refused to pick her up?" Piper cried her voice angry "Prue she needs us!"

"She was probably lying. You know how she's been lately" Prue said, though doubt was evident in her tone

"She wouldn't lie about that. That much I know. We have to go get her."

"We should wait until morning."

"Thats too long, by then she will have completely lost faith in us"

"I don't think so Piper. She knows better than that"

"Its like when a baby cries and nobody comes to hold them After a while they stop expecting anything from their parents. This won't be the first time we in a way abandon Paige" Piper pointed out

Prue didn't respond, but just grabbed her jacket and left the room, which was enough of an answer in itself.

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**Paige's POV**

I'm laughing my head off and I don't know why. James is too. Everything is funny.

"My hands look strange" I say with a giggle holding it up to my face.

"What?" he says with a laugh

"I said my hand looks strange" More laughing

"I wish I had a dog."

"My hands look strange"

"What?"

"I don't remember. What do you wanna do?"

"Lets get ice cream"

"Nah. I'd rather have a lollipop"

"Lets get ice cream. Do you think I should get a dog?"

"I think we should get lollipops. Lets go to the mini-mart"

"They sell dogs there?"

"How should I know?" I say with a laugh before shifting so I'm lying down in James' lap. "I'm tired"

"Yeah." He chuckles "What?"

"I dunno"

He lights up the cigarette once again and starts to smoke it. "Boy, I'm baked"

"You don't look very tan"

"You're a funny girl Paige. Let's get ice cream."

"Okay" I giggle trying to stand up, but I fall immediatly, cracking up "I can't walk."

"I'll carry you." James offers slinging me over his shoulder and running down the block. I scream and laugh. "Can I get a lollipop"

"What?"

"I'm tired" I say "Put me down"

"Okay." James complies putting me down "My dad used to carry me like that"

"My daddy used to give me piggy back rides."

"I saw a pig at the petting zoo when I was four. It was pink"

"I have a pink blanket at home. It has a P for Paige"

"I have to pee"

"Me too"

We laugh some more. I'm only vaguely aware our conversations are pointless. And before I know whats happening, James leans down and kisses me.

"Whad'ya do that for?" I ask chuckling

"I think I love you" He explains with a laugh

"I love you too. Lets get married"

"Can we get ice cream first?"

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**Third Person**

Prue and Piper pulled up to the hospital in the jeep. They had let Phoebe stay home asleep, figuring they might as well let her sleep. They could take Paige without her.

They ran in, eager to get Paige, and reassure her that everything was going to be okay. They dashed to the front desk and got the attention of a night nurse "Excuse me, I'm Paige Halliwell's sister Prue. I'm here to pick her up, I think its best if I take her home now."

The nurse looked puzzled "I'm afraid Paige isn't here. Ms Halliwell, you signed her out earlier yourself." she said pointing to the spot on the signout sheet where her signature was written in clear cursive

"Shit. Piper, Paige is gone."

The sisters dashed from the hospital as fast as they came in. "Its a good thing I brought the scrying stuff." Piper said "I can't believe she escaped!"

"She's a smart kid. She must've orbed herself everything she needed and then gotten herself out of here." Prue shook her head "She's so reckless and irresponsible. Did nobody teach her any behaviour skills growing up?"

"Prue!" Piper chided her older sister propelling the crystal over the map "Her adoptive parents were wonderful"

"Yeah sure." Prue said speeding in the car directly to town. "If she was going anywhere, it would be in town, don't you think?"

"I guess. Actually for all we know she could've pulled another stunt like she did that other time and actually be safe and sound at home"

"Fat chance. Did you get anything yet?" Prue asked

"No but-Wait yes! She's at the movie theatre." Piper said with a grin "Bingo. Now lets go get our baby sister back"

Prue stopped the jeep in front of the movie theatre at around 7 in the morning just as the sun came up and people started walking the streets. She dashed out of the car and froze when she saw her baby sister.

Paige was sitting next to some boy her head on his shoulder sucking her thumb happily. It took Prue a minute to notice but she saw Paige's eyes were extremely bloodshot and glazed over. So were the boy's.

"Paige Elizabeth! You get off that boy this instant and come here!" she said fuming at the scene before her

"Prue, do my hands look strange to you?" Paige asked holding her hands up in her sister's face as Prue came over and yanked Paige up forcefully by the arm. Instantly she could smell the telltale smoke around her sister, her baby.

"Oh my god! Are you high!" Prue cried holding her sister up as her knees kept buckling

Piper who by now had also arrived at Prue's side eyes grew wide "She's been smoking pot with this hoodlum!"

"Thats James. We're getting married"

"Oh know you aren't. You're coming home with us right now!" Prue demanded enraged at Paige's behavior

"Can I get a lollipop?" Paige asked "I'm tired"

"No! Let's go. I mean right this second young lady! Say goodbye to your little friend" Prue yelled

Paige laughed " Bye Jimmy. We'll get ice cream sometime!" she said as she waved, but the kid was knocked out cold.

Paige was like a dead weight as Prue pushed her into the back seat, and her and Piper got into the front. "Can I have a lollipop?"

"No Paige! No lollipops! I can't believe you were so irresponsible to run away from the hospital and go out in the middle of the night. I was worried sick about you! What were you thinking?" Prue asked still seething

"I don't remember" Paige said with a shrug and a giggle "Can I have a lollipop?"

"Godamnit Paige!" Prue screamed slamming the steering wheel. She reached into a side compartment and pulled out a lollipop. At a red light she unwrapped it and popped it into her sisters mouth. "At least you'll shut up now"

Piper couldn't help but laugh "One day you're going to find this very funny" she reassured her oldest sister "We'll look back on it and laugh"

"Yeah well, i'll let ya know when that day comes." she sighed looking at her sister enjoying her lollipop so innocently in the backseat "I should've just gone and gotten her. We could've avoided all of this."

"You trusted her to stay put. There's nothing we can do to change that now" Piper pointed out "I for one am not letting her out alone for a while. Her powers are too teenager escapee friendly."

"I know first the orbing and now this whole glimmering crapola. It seems like she only knows how to do it to her face so far though. But still"

"I think we should bind her powers" Piper whispered "You, me and Phoebe are the original PO3. We should keep her out of this. I don't want her fighting anymore anyway."

"We'll talk about it." Prue semi-agreed. It didn't seem like half bad of a plan at the moment and Paige needed to be punished anyway. She suspected though that Paige had to have been pretty upset to go this far, and they would also have to address this issue "I really thought we were making progress" Prue said her voice quivery

"I know sweetie." Piper replied putting a gentle hand on Prue's arm "We'll get her to talk to us though. We always do."

"Prue?" Paige asked from the backseat

Prue rolled her eyes at Piper "What Paige?"

"My hands look really really strange" she laughed

Prue just shook her head and continued driving to the manor. Paige had some major issues, and Prue loved her anyway, but man the girl could be annoying.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi peeps. Sorry bout not updating for a while, but i've been quite swamped researching such commodities as popcorn and paper airplanes and trying to interpret romantic enlish poetry. But I'm back. Enjoy the following chap. **

**Third Person**

Prue and Piper pushed Paige through the front door, as the youngest stared at ehr hands in puzzlement.

"Are you sure?" she asked squinting in a rather exaggerated manner

Prue rolled her eyes. "For the last time, Paige. There is nothing wrong with your hands." she said closing the door "Why don't you go sit in the couch for a while huh?"

Paige shrugged and dragged herself over to the couch. She plopped down and basically stared into space.

"Maybe she'll pass out for the next three to six hours and wake up back to normal" Prue mumbled to Piper

Piper laughed "Oh Prue, she's just a teenager. You aren't telling me you never got high?"

"Absoloutely not." Prue said sticking her chin up in the air to be met with a skeptical look from Piper "No seriously. I never did. And I know you didn't either."

Piper nodded. That was true. "But Phoebe did."

"Uch don't remind me." Prue said walking into the kitchen and grabbing a vitamin water out of the fridge "At least she never escaped the hospital when she had a virus coursing through her malnourished body and then got high"

"Don't you think maybe you're being a bit hard on Paige?" Piper said sensing her sister's anger and hearing her infamous dissappointment tone

"No" Prue answered curtly turning toward Piper. "Hey, why don't you go out today with Leo? You guys haven't really had alot of time together lately."

"Oh, but I don't know Prue. And leave you all alone with Paige? She's still very sick"

"I won't be alone. I have Pheebs." Prue said glancing over to the couch to see a conked out Paige "Besides, she's completely out of it. I can take her."

"Yeah sure okay" Piper teased and was playfully hit by Prue "Fine I'll call for him. Leo!"

Leo orbed in at his wife's beckon and pulled her in for a kiss. "What do you say we go for a picnic on the beach today?" Piper asked looking adoringly at Leo

"I say that sounds perfect. Away we go" Leo said before orbing him and Piper out of there.

"All by myself" Prue sang to herself with a small smirk on her lips. She went over to the couch and felt Paige's head. It was hot, which worried Prue

"Oh dear" she sighed "Something tells me we forget to pick up some things at the hospital"

At that moment Prue heard the door slam and in walked Phoebe and Cole. "Jesus! There you are! Care to leave a note?" Phoebe cried walking in with some shopping bags.

"Hey Pheebs" Prue said

"Aha, so you did take Paige home with you. You know, I thought it was very suspicious when I went to visit the hospital and they told me you had checked Paige out"

"Thats because I didn't. She used her powers to orb herself out, and forged my signature in the process. We found her high on the streets"

"Figured something along those lines" Phoebe grimaced holding out a shopping bag "It wouldn't be like you to forget her load of medications"

"Holy crap. She needs to take all of this?" Prue said in shock

"If she wants to live. So high huh? She takes after me" Phoebe joked

"I never knew that about you Phoebe" Cole said hugging his girlfriend "You're a bad bad girl"

"Uch Ew." Prue said turning away "Is that all they said?"

"They want her to drink some of that Pedialyte stuff those happy kids are always drinking on the commercials. They are worried about her weight."

"Noted" Prue said taking the rest of the shopping bags with her back into the kitchen.

"So uhh yeah" she heard Phoebe's uncomfortable voice from the foyer "Cole and I are going to go out now" And before Prue could respond they were gone.

_Thats always been the difference between Phoebe and Piper. Piper always waits till she's been told its okay to go, and Phoebe does as she pleases. _Prue thought. _At least Paige is asleep, easier to deal with that way._

"Maybe I'll give someone a call" Prue said thoughtfully, tapping her chin before she picked up the phone and dialed in a few familiar digits.

**Paige's POV**

I feel myself wake up again, and jeez I do sleep alot. The last thing I remember is being pushed into the house by Prue, and holy shit, I was high. Well, I'm excited to see what sorts of trouble i'm going to be in when she finds out that I'm awake.

I push myself up off the couch and study myself in the mirror hanging on the nearby wall. The glamouring I did has reversed itself back again. I'm a mess. Figures. Thats what you get for escaping the hospital and running amok in the middle of the night when you are by medical standards too sick to function.But, I must say, I showed them.

"Ahh you're up" I hear a still unfamiliar voice say. I turn to be met with Victor.

"Victor?" I ask in complete genuine shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I can see you're happy to see me" he says with an uncomfortable grimace. "Prue asked me to come over, because Piper and Phoebe went off with Leo and Cole"

"Why would she do that?" I mumble under my breath "Do you know where she is now? I need to talk to her about something"

Victor frowns a little and I almost feel bad. He seems to be trying hard to get me to like him. "Oh, um you know Paige honey, she went out too"

"Went, out? Prue? No way" I shake my head in disbelief "With who?"

" She didn't want you to know, but that doctor at the hospital. The one you hated?"

"That Dr. Fee bastard?!" I cry in shock and Victor doesn't even correct my language "Holy shit"

He laughs and pets my head affectionately "Its just an innocent date. Don't get all worked up"

I can't help but smile too. I've missed my adoptive Dad unimaginably and if Victor can help fill that hole, then why not? "I think I might go take a shower"

"Whatever you want sweetie, just don't drown in there" I make a face at him "Oh and when you come down, meds."

I pull my face into an exaggerated contortion and flee up the stairs, feeling a bit better about the way things are turning out.

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I'm in the shower, and I get that feeling, you know the one, that sinking sensation that makes you depressed for no reason at all. Its just another random huge sadness thats come over me, and I'm not really sure how to get over it.

I suppose i'm mad because my sisters, every one of them, just left me by myself and sick without even letting me know. And to top it all off, they called Victor to like baby-sit me.

Victor. Why does he have to be so nice anyway? Its a little weird in a way. I'm not even his actual daughter. He's not my dad. I can't believe for a minute I thought he could replace my real dad. I hope he doesn't know, being up there in heaven or wherever he is. That would just be another reason for someone to get mad at me and start the hate all over.

I want to die. Its not really like i'm suicidal, just that I can't see myself really caring if I died. Its cliche in an awkward way, but so many bad things have happened, so much shit that i've had to take, my life is meaningless.

Its not like I'm going to come out of either like some big strong big hero like you see on daytime TV. It doesn't work that way. At least not for me. It was bad enough when I got changed to kid, worse when I was kidnapped and raped, terrible when I myself in some retarded thought process decided to stay that way, and its hopeless now that I have an STD, proof that rape makes you dirty. I will always be dirty,and a part of me cannot shake the fact that I will probably never have a functioning relationship again.

Plus my peers are teens now. I am a teenager. Its awful, because i'm really not. Well I am, but...you know what, I don't even know myself. Who am I? I wish I knew. I used to know who Paige Matthews was. She was a great girl, carefree, cool, lovable. But she's dead now, replaced by the shell of a person Paige Halliwell. The two may seem the same on first glance, but in reality they are more different than any given individuals.

Okay, so now i'm thinking in the third person. I might actually be going crazy. Like, for real this time. I almost went crazy once, but that was in the other life. After my parents died. Life was so simple with them. I understood my place.

But now I have my sisters and nothings clear cut. Sometimes they want me to be their baby, and let them take care of me, which I mind because for one I'm not, and two I just don't deserve that sort of attention or love. Sisters were the one thing I never had, but wanted and I got my wish, but I'm still not sure how to handle it. They treat me like someone who is uncapable of taking care of themselves, and I have become that way to an extent. Yet, they still want me to be responsible. To make the right choices, not to do stupid stuff like I did today.

But I just don't know how. I don't try to do things to be defiant either. I'm crying for help. Its true. But I'm not getting it. What my sisters give me, Its just not right somehow. I need to be loved, but they way they do it makes me feel sad, alone and empty.

I'm really doomed this time. If they can't help me, then who will?

I get out of the shower, skin red and burned from a long time spent under the hot shower. I look at myself, clearing a spot off of the fogged up mirror, and grimace. I'm so ugly. So goddamn ugly. Good. It wil protect me in the end.

I pad over to my room, and lock the door. I don't want to be disturbed. No exceptions. Doesn't look like that will be an issue though. On my nightstand, I have a small tea plate full of pills, and a plastic bottle of what I recognize as pedilyte. There's a note. Oh let me read it:

"Dear Paige, I had to run to work, but here is your medicine. Take it all you hear young lady? Your sisters will be home soon. Love you, Dad"

I snort and then proceed to rip the note into tiny tiny shreds with my nails letting them pollute my carpet. Love you! Love you! Can you imagine the nerve. Nobody loves me. Christ! I wish people would just suck it up and stop lying.

I eye the pills,and dry swallow them all, just because being sick sucks, and as I said, I'm not suicidal. I won't intentionally put myself in harms way.

And then there's the nurtitional supplement stuff. That Pedialiyte junk they say kids will make "dissappear" Kids. I. E. Not me. Just because I'm underweight and am probably depelted of all my vitamin and minerals. So that sounds bad, but Fuck it. I'm tossing it into the trash.

It lands with a crash and I'm pleased, thank you. I throw on some shit clothes and lie down on my bed. Crossing my arms like a corpse in a casket. Ironic, huh? Boy, I'm turning into a real psycho. People shouldn't leave me alone. Bad things happen when I'm alone.

Okay, Okay. You're saying they didn't leave me alone. They left me with my "father." Maybe Prue forgot he was a deadbeat, and walked out on her. I'm certainly no different, perhaps only inferior in position.

My arms are itchy. My wrists actually. And before I know it i'm manically clawing at them like some psychiatric nutcase. I can't make myself stop, and they are bleeding a little. At least I haven't touched a razor.

My skin is caught under my nails, and my wrists are practically raw, and well, the world is just my freaking oyster huh?

**Thrid Person**

Prue walked up to Paige's room that night right after she got home from her semi date with Harold. It was the first time she had gone out in a while and man it felt amazing. Her sisters must've been having an amazing time too, because when she got back, around midnight, Prue could hear some stuff upstairs. Yeah. But what could she do? They weren't kids anymore. At least she still had one innocent baby sister left. Her Paige.

Even though she had completely acted like a moron today, Prue spent a lot of time trying to understand her intentions. Paige was messed up, really messed up, and Prue wasn't sure what she could do more than she already was. It always had to be her to to fix stuff always.

She shook her head and tried to throw those thoughts out. She was on a natural high from her amazing night, and wasn't about to let herself get down.

She shook the handle of Paige's door,and was dismayed to find it locked. Holy crap. How long had she been locked in there? Did Victor even pay attention to her? Prue had assumed that he had left when Piper or Phoebe came home, but maybe not. Shit.

She used her telekinesis to unlock the door, and saw Paige sleeping there, half off the bed. Her wrist was torn up, but Prue was relieved to see that it looked like she had done it with her nails. The light was still on, so Prue went to shut it off, but she passed by the garbage and saw the pedialyte Paige was supposed to drink lying in the trash unopened.

Prue shook her head. _ Oh Paige_ she thought. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. Things got worse by the day, and all of the sudden Prue stopped feeling so good about going out that day.

"Poor Paigey" she said kissing her sisters head and running a hand lovingly through her hair. "I wish I knew what went on in that head"

She shut off the light and made her way out. As she stepped through the doorway she heard a small voice crack from the bed behind her

"Yeah me too."

**Sorry I took so long to update. Really. Thanks for staying tuned. It is appreciated more than you know :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry guys...busy.. yuck. :( Anyway, I've been having trouble figuring out what to do next, and i'm thinking of starting a new story, so thats been like messing up my mojo. okay, well on with what you came for. **

**Third Person-**

Paige woke up to another day- (it seemed like that was all she did lately, go to sleep and then wake up, then sleep again...)- and to a sufficeintly pissed Phoebe leaning over her.

"Whaddya doing here Phoebe?" Paige grumbled rubbing her eyes as she noticed she was awake due to her previously closed blinds being opened rather rudely.

"Waking you up, duh" Phoebe replied with an eye roll. "So get up"

"No" Paige moaned pulling the covers up over her touseled head.

"Yes silly." Phoebe said plopping down and pulling the covers right back off "We're going to the beach with Melissa, Meghan, and Molly." she explained referring the their trio of next door neighbors.

"I don't like them" Paige grumped sitting up and crossing her arms with a pout "Can't we do something else?"

"We all want to go and you aren't going to ruin it Paige" Phoebe replied growing stern, "now c'mon, get dressed, Everyone's coming over here for breakfast in like 15 minutes."

She got up and kissed Paige's head before leaving the room, doing a little impromptu humming under her breath. She smelt like sex.

"Everyone?" Paige murmered under her breath, pulling herself out of bed wishing she didn't have to. The last she wanted to do was hang out with her sisters, their friends, and their boyfriends. But, what choice did she have?

She shuffled into the bathroom, and when she went to wash her fash, she noticed her wrists covered in scratches-her own doing. But, she realized she hadn't been itchy for nothing, her arms were covered in a rash. Normally, she would've called Prue to look at it, but not today. She was not happy with any of her three sisters.

She knew it was an allergic reaction to the red dye in both the Pedialyte and lollipop she had eaten. She used to get reactions like those all the time when she was a teenager, but they stopped. It didn't suprise her that they had come back. It didn't matter though. She could fix it with a simple spell.

Focusing on her wrists she intoned "Let the object of objection become but a dream, as I cause the seen to become unseen"

She couldn't help but smirk as her wrists turned to normal before her eyes. She heard the doorbell downstairs, and looked out the window to see M cubed outside. She registered that she didn't have much time.

Just by looking in the mirror, she was able to make her hair straight, give herself a light tan, make it look as though her makeup had been professionally done, clear up her pimples, and even clean her teeth.

"I love glamouring" she smiled, leaving the bathroom to go to her closet, forgetting the burdens of personal gain.

She slipped on a pink and white plaid bikini, who's bottom had a cute little skirt type thing and pulled a terry cloth tube dress over it so that she was sufficiently covered up.

She was more concerned about these things now that she was older.

"Well, its now or never" she reasoned out loud before slamming the door to her room and beggining her trudge down the stairs.

"Slam another door Paige and you're staying home today!" Prue threatened from downstairs telling Paige that their "guests" had arrived. She knew Prue's need to be all authoritarian when people were around. She got it, really. Prue was Ms. Control Freakazoid. But honestly...

"Yeah okay sure Mussolini" she quipped jumping the last two steps of the stairs to be met with a table full of people. She meant to say hi, but she was kinda in shock.

"Good morning sweetie" Piper said ushering her over to an empty seat between Phoebe and Leo.

"Mmmm" Paige said in response taking in the expanse of food "You out did yourself again Piper"

"You turned out to be an amazing chef" says Meghan, Piper's resident BFF waving her fork in the air as she chewed some pancakes "Man o Man"

Piper laughed and sat down on the other side of Leo. "Well, they don't just dish out culinary degrees you know"

Molly, Phoebe's old buddy chimed in "You should go on that show Top Chef. Whaddya think Pheebs?"

Phoebe shrugged "Why not? She'd probably win"

"I'll second that" Cole said pulling Phoebe into a kiss "Ah. Today is my day"

"My amazing wife" Leo agreed

Paige looked around the table. Each of her sisters was sitting around her with a best friend, and a boyfriend. Much to Paige's dismay Good ol Dr. Fee was there. It was enough to make her lose her appetite.

Not that she had put any food on her plate anyway. Some would say she was vying for attention. Maybe, maybe not. It worked nevertheless.

"Paige, honey" Prue started in her most neutral tone "Don't you think you should eat something maybe?"

Paige shrugged and fought off the smirk daring to form on her face "You're not supposed to eat before you swim"

"B.S." replied Prue "Isn't that so Harry?" she asked turning to Dr. Fee

"Well, erm, yeah. Its all a big lie" He replied breaking out into a grin

"See, Paige. Eat" Prue persisted

"Eh" she replied and got up from the table "I quit that."

"Paige!" Prue called after her, but Paige just waved her off.

"Prue, honey, dear, big sis. I'm not hungry kay? Thats it."

"Paige, even if you aren't going to eat anything, just come back and sit. That's the polite way to do things" Leo chimed in getting all father figure on Paige

Paige narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms like the stubborn child she was, waiting. By now everyone was looking at her, and yes, she was embarassed. but she shuddered to think how much worse it would look if she admitted to a fault and gave up then.

"For me Paige?" Piper pleaded and Paige sighed. Well, how could she say no to near begging.

She threw her head back and groaned "Fine" and took her seat back at the table

"Here Paigey, you need to drink this. If not anything else" Piper said indicating the off white liquid waiting in the cup before her.

"What is it?' Paige demanded, semi glad to at least be acknowledged

Piper's nose turned red, because she was lying, dead giveaway. "Milk"

"Milk is for babies. I read that nobody over a year old should be drinking whole milk" Paige argued

"It's skim"

"Piper, I'm not retarded. I know its not milk. Its that Pedisure I'm supposed to drink and it tastes like cat food."

Piper shook her head. "Well, I'm not going to force you..."

"I will." Prue said cutting in

"Ooookay then, well you know I really think its time we head down to the beach." Phoebe said redeeming her short lived role as middle sister mediator. "Beat the crowds."

"Count me in" said Molly jumping up and her sisters followed. They looked so, so so, _normal. _It disgusted Paige.

She sneered the group as they walked passed only to have her arm snatched up by Phoebe and recieve a little pinch to which she returned the favor by giving Phoebe a little shove.

Of course Phoebe caught her balance and gave Paige a dirty look before linking her arm through Cole's and skipping off to the land of happy couples to which Paige did not belong.

And that made her pretty sad.

An hour or so later, Paige sat under the big canvas umbrella her sisters had set up in the sand with her knees drawn to her chest, hiding fromt eh sun which would give her an awful burn and make her look like a tomato. She was having an awful time.

Did anybody care?

Of course not. They were off having a gorgeous time playing in the water, which she would not go near as that's where her sisters, all of whom she was kind of mad at were. Maybe it was about time she stopped sitting around feeling sorry for herself, and got up and had some fun.

Paige pulled herself out of her pathetic curl, and got up to go explore the beach. She hoped, well to be honest, didn't care all that much, whether Prue would be mad or not when she found Paige gone.

She kind of felt like today she wouldn't though.

Maybe she could meet some people her age. Or not..she was a bit anti-social.

Nevertheless, she found herself wandering over to the volleyball courts, where most of the teenagers hung out. She was kind of shocked when she saw somebody there she kind of forgot about.

"James?" she asked the blonde guy who was diving towards the ball, only to fall flat on his toned stomach as his eyes met Paige.

"Paige?"

Well, at that point, Paige's tongue kind of got heavy, and she dind't exactly know what to say. "Uhh, well, what's up?"

He dusted himself off, and left his friends and the game.

"Hey" he said giving her a hug, which kind of took Paige aback, but nevertheless returned because god James was a babe.

"I didn't think i would see you again, you know different worlds colliding, and all that jazz" he said with an adorable smile "But I'm glad we did"

"And this time we're both a smidge more sane, no?" Paige added returning his smile "Well actually, I dunno bout me."

'Do you wanna talk?" James offered, and Paige didn't know what to say. I mean, yeah she did want to talk, and James was kind of her only semi-actual maybe friend, but she didn't want to intrude on his time with his real friends.

"You're not busy?" Paige asked gesturing towards the other people on the volleyball court.

He waved a hand, to indicate the lack of importance there was in staying, and walked off with Paige, to stroll along the beach.

Paige thought that it seemed almost perfect, because she sort of had a crush on James. Not that she would admit it. Ever.

"So, how have things been, since like yesterday?" James asked looked Paige right in the eyes, which made her all jellowy inside.

"Well, they didn't leave me in the hospital, but they left me with my fake father person and all went out on dates while I was sick and high out of my mind."

"Fake father person?"

"He's kind of my adoptive Dad, but then not, but I'm not even sure" Paige replied "He's my sisters' biological dad"

"That explains the ignorant leaving you with him part"

"Yeah. So my life has just been, well as great as usual. What about you? Did you get home okay?"

"Home?" He said "This beach, is home"

"Deep' Paige laughed

"I surf alot, so I just came here. No need to go back to the pits of hell now huh?"

"Nobody is worried about you?" Paige asked in disbelief kind of seeing that maybe she wasn't so bad off with her sisters. It was better to have people being overbearing she guessed, then not caring at all.

"I wouldn't know" James replied looking down at the sand, in a way that made Paige's heart wrench "Wanna get some food?"

Paige pretended not to notice the abrupt subject change 'Alright"

'Let's get that ice cream I wanted so bad."

"Okay"

The two went to the small Friendly's ice cream stand and ordered soft swirl cones, that were way too big and overpriced. Paige didn't care. It was a beautiful time.

James laughed cutely as he licked a drop of ice crem off of his upper lip. "Good stuff, huh?"

"Oh yeah" Paige laughed

"You, know you've got some on your lip"

"Oh?" Paige said, moving quickly to rub it off with her fingers but to only be caught in a kiss from James. It was the best she'd ever had.

"Ooer" she breathed when they were done. "That was.."

"Paige! Paige!" she heard Phoebe call and turned to see her waving from the sand, not too far away "C'mon, we're going! It's getting late!"

_I wonder how much of that she saw.._Paige thought biting her lip. The only thing that could ruin her nice time was finding out that Phoebe saw such a personally satisfying moment.

"I guess you better go" James said, looking down at Paige with sad blue eyes. "But, i'll see you around"

"Yeah, definately" Paige replied, before grazing his hand with hers, in a secretive and enticing goodbye, and walking off to return to her realistic existence.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Paige!" Piper chastised as she reached the group "Where have you been the whole day!"

'Uhh/ Whole day?" Paige asked confused. Her time with James hadn't felt long at all.

'Yeah.It's six-thirty already. We were thinking about catching a movie and having some dinner"

"Alrightie then." Paige answered "Which one?"

"We haven't decided yet, but we were waiting for you to walk up to the theatre" Piper explained "It's right on the boardwalk."

"Sounds good" Paige answered, feeling better already about being an outsider since she knew, even if he wasn't here, she had someone.

They walked up to the restaurant and had a quick dinner of pretty decent pizza. Paige even ate some, which made Prue decently pleased. By then, it was pretty late, and Paige was getting tired, even though it was only 8. But, the fresh air did that to her.

"I'm so excited for the movie!" Phoebe said "Aren't you guys?"

"Oh yeah" Meghan said, as they walked up to the front of the theater. "Hey! Let's see _The Hills Have Eyes"_

"Oh, I dunno, isn't that some stupid horror flick?" Prue asked skeptically

"That's what I heard too" Piper said

"No guys! Please!" begged Phoebe, who was always in love with scary movies. "Please!"

"Please!" joined in Molly

"Oh fine" Prue caved. "I guess, I can always doze off."

"Sure' Meghan encouraged.

"Is it okay for Paige to see though?" Prue asked suddenly remembering Paige

Paige grimaced. She really hated horror films, but didn't want to act like a huge baby and say she wouldn't see it. She could just close her eyes, and ears if she needed to.

"Stop worrying Prue' urged Melissa "You'll get awful wrinkles"

Prue laughed "Alright. You'll be fine won't you Paige?"

Paige was going to say maybe not, but they had already gone off to buy tickets. Well, she'd just have to get over herself then.

They sat down in the theater and Paige found herself seated in the middle of Phoebe and Melissa, much to her dismay. She would rather have the hand of someone she was happier with to grab when she became scared out of her mind.

The movie started, and at first it wasn't so bad. Paige thought it seemed like just another dumb old movie, where the family gets attacked my a crazy psycho killer.

Yeah, not quite. The bad guys weren't human, which means they couldn't be killed or defeated. Even though she was a witch, and could probably take them, this fact always made Paige uneasy.

She could handle horror movies if the killer was human, but if they weren't well that was it.

All of the sudden there were severed limbs, and mutant people, and rape, and Paige couldn't take it anymore. It was too much for her squemish self.

"Phoebe" she cried covering her eyes with one hand and grabbing for her sister's hand with the other "I can't look!"

Phoebe, unsympathetic as ever especially as she was deeply interested in the movie, responded with nothing but

"Shush! Just try and watch! I don't want to miss this!"

Paige turned to the screen just as there was a severely deformed little girl asking an unsuspecting man if he wished to play with her. It skeeved Paige out, and she promptly buried her face in Phoebe's arm.

"I really can't look Phoebe" she said grabbing her sister's arm. She was terrified out of her mind.

"Fine. Just shut up, okay?" Phoebe said with an exasperated sigh leaning into Cole who was on her other side.

Paige stayed like that for the remaining hour and fifteen minutes of the movie, and when it was time to go, she had to forced to get up, and unlatch herself from Phoebe.

"Jeez Paige, its over" Phoebe snapped pulling Paige away from her 'Besides, it wasn't bad at all."

"Oh yeah sure, it was like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Alice and Wonderland had a baby, really" Paige quipped back looking to the others for support "Oh, c'mon you couldn't ahve all thought it was mild"

There were ominous shrugs and remarks like "Well, it was scary, but not totally awful" "Oh yeah, there could have totally been worse."

Paige felt alone again, but was not about to be left wandering the streets alone at night separated from the rest of the group like in the movie. She's end up all chopped up like them.

She shuffled up to Piper and grabbed her hand "I'm scared Piper' she whispered so nobody else would hear, and get annoyed at her for being a spoilsport.

"It wasn't real honey, don't dwell on it or else you'll make yourself even more scared" Piper replied squeezing her hand reassuringly 'I thought it was absoloutely horrifying also"

"At least I'm not the only one then" Paige said smiling at Piper.

The families returned to their houses, and Paige, with a quick goodbye excused herself inside to the bright, safe house, that she never liked so much as she did tonight.

Phoebe and Piper, with Leo and Cole joined them inside soon after, and Prue a bit after that after saying a lovely little goodbye to Dr. Fee.

Paige didn't want to consider it much.

Prue licked her lips subtlely as she came inside. Noticing the expectant stares she was given, she immediately tried to distract everyone again, and to get the attention off of herself and her new sort of semi boyfriend.

"Alright, well Paige, I think its time you got to bed. You're still sick,and I'd like to keep you from landing in the hospital again." Prue said sounding foolishly parental

"Gee sis, is that what you two were talking about out there?" Paige commented, as Prue ushered her upstairs.

"I'm not even going to respond to that little girl" Prue taunted back

"Too late." Paige replied with a smirk " I don't need you to put me to bed you know" she commented as they entered her bedroom

Prue shook her head as she pulled back the covers on Paige's bed while Paige threw on some pajamas and brushed her teeth.

"Doesn't mean I'm not going to" Prue retorted "Climb in"

" I guess I should spare my arguments then that I'm too old for this, and that you forget i'm not actually a child" Paige sighed doing as Prue instructed and pulling the covers over her chest herself.

"Obviously' Prue said with an impish grin "Well goodnight then" she said leaning over and kissing Paige on the cheek "I love you sweetheart"

"Yeah yeah" Paige said turning over so her back was facing Prue "You're pretty okay yourself"

"I'm going to pretend you said 'I love you too'" Prue said with a small laugh "Don't let the radioactive mutants bite" she added as she turned off the light and shut Paige's door.

"You had to remind me, now didn't you?" Paige said to herself while shaking her head "Now I'll never fall asleep"

Indeed, Paige never fell asleep. She just sat with her knees drawn to her chest in a pathetic position until the earliest hours of the morning.

At that point, she managed to totally panic herself and decided that maybe she would be better off downstairs in the lighted living room with the television on, although the idea of walking around the big house at night scared her half to death.

She grabbed her comforter blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders, she was pretty cold anyway, but it made her feel safer, and she walked downsatirs, carefully trying not to make any noise.

All of the sudden, when she made it to the bottom of the stairs she was startled by a movement in the shadows.

She screamed.

'Paige? Honey, what are you doing up at this hour?" Prue's voice asked her out of the darkness, as the form of her oldest sister came from the kitchen to see Paige. "It's like two in morning, are you feeling alright? Did you get sick?"

Paige just shook her head and pulled Prue into a hug "The mutant people are going to get me" she whispered childishly, her voice edged with sleep and fear

"The movie did scare you then huh?" Prue asked, wrapping a protective arm over Paige's shoulder. "I knew it would" she pointed out leading Paige over to the couch where she sat her baby sister down.

"I'll be right back sweetie, don't worry nothing's going to get you. It was just a dumb movie." Prue assured Paige as she returned to the kitchen.

Paige sat tight, and Prue returned about a minute later bearing a mug of steaming liquid. She handed it to Paige, and sat next to her pulling her into a close embrace.

'I made you some hot milk, to help you fall asleep." Prue explained rubbing her little sister's back comfortingly "Just relax now, so you can go to sleep, and get better"

Prue watched with a smirk as her sister drank the beverage, even though she had insisted earlier she hated milk. Prue could hold it against her later, when she wanted to illustrate later that Paige was indeed a very difficult person.

The two watched some crappy old TVLand show for a little while, as Paige began to get drowsy.

"Stay Prue" she insisted rubbing her eyes and leaning into her sister's soft arms. "Don't go"

"I won't sweetie, I won't" Prue said seeing that the age old remedy was taking effect on the youngest Halliwell, in addition to her body's exhaust from fighting off the virus that was in her system.

Before Prue could even finish what she was saying though, Paige had drifted off into the first stages of sleep. Prue was content to watch her doze, and as she did, tried to remember what life was like without Paige, when it was Phoebe who relied on her so much.

"Well, it doesn't matter now" she managed to conclude before drifitng off herself, thinking only of herself.

**Anyway, I really am sorry this took so long, I really am. I seem to have no time at all this year. I'm going to try and continue this story the best I can, but you never know. So, stay with. :)**


	19. Chapter 19

The minute I feel Prue's chest begin to heave up in down in the movements that are always indicative of deep sleep, I pick my head up from her lap and begin to pace the room.

I'm nervous, anxious even, and I can't find the power to get myself to go back to sleep even though I know I damn well need it. I still don't feel well, and I'm not sure I'm ever going to feel well again but I guess I will just have to get used to that.

I look over again to make sure Prue is still asleep and not watching me in my manic pacing. Right, Left, Right. Left. Something needs order around here.

Suddenly but not surprisingly I find myself overcome by a dizzy spell and I fall down against the wall, a corner, by which I have stopped. Ouch, my head.

Before I can register whats happening to me, I find myself ambushed by a shooting pain through my sinuses and a black out in front of my eyes.

What the hell is happening to you Paige? I ask just as I pass into another period of darkness.

* * *

"_Paige, Paige. Come my child." _

_A beautiful woman, young, blonde, and gentle approached the small girl huddled in the corner of the dark cavern. _

" _It will be okay now, mea infans, you are safe here. We have always protected you." _

_The woman reached out to the silent brunette child as she was met with dark brown eyes discouraging her touch and presence. _

"_Dulcea…Sweetie" The blonde pleaded_

"_Excede. Me terruisti." –Leave. You scared me._

"_Paige I will not leave. And how could I have scared you? Nonne tua Mater sum? Am I not your mother?"_

_The petulant little girl looked up at the woman with frightened eyes "Hominem interfecisti! Te vidi!"-You killed a man. I saw you._

_The blonde stared back shocked at the girl, who was supposedly her daughter. "Veni mea infans. Veni mecum sedere." –Come my baby. Come sit with me-"The time has come to tell you something very important."_

_Paige rose and sat on the woman's lap her face lit by the fires that glowed around her warming the caves of Hell. "Quid?"-"What?"_

"_You never knew this, but you don't belong here. I'm not supposed to tell you this, it's the master's orders, but I don't think I can hide it from you much longer. I don't belong here either. We were kidnapped, not together of course. Me before you obviously, but by the same demon. He says I have to stay here and watch you, because I am his queen and you are our child, but I know you aren't. You must have some family somewhere who wants you back right?"_

_The toddler looked at her blankly as though she were reading a story that was in a different language. She continued on._

"_I'm a witch, not a demon. You must be a witch too or why else would he kidnap you? I just…I'm only 18..I can't be your mother. We have to escape and I have to return you to your family. It isn't right."_

"_Casa non est? Mea Mater non es?"-This isn't home? You aren't my mother?_

"_No, no. Listen Paigey, you are just a baby and you probably don't understand what I'm saying to you fully. I killed that man because he was evil and we aren't. I'm going to escape, and you have to come with me. I'm going to take you with me, and then I'll scry for your family. I'll get you back to them. If I can't then I'll protect you. I will I promise. Salus hic non invenitur"-Safety is not found here. _

"_Discedemusne?"-Are we going to leave? _

"_No!" came an unrelated voice echoing through the gray walls which encompassed their room, empty but for two beds. _

"_There is going to be no escaping done while I'm in charge around here. By now Anna I would have thought you realized you were mine."_

_Anna rose shielding Paige from the man. "I can't do this anymore. I can't be your wife, her mother. I can't raise her as your heir! I can't! Haven't you put me through enough?"_

_The man sneered as he lifted his palm, a fireball blooming within. "I decide when enough's enough. And sadly Anna your time is up."_

"_Please don't!" The girl cried terrified but it was already too late. She lay on the floor nothing more than a corpse as she whispered her last words. _

_And three year old Paige, witnessing the only parent she knew being taken away from her, drew her arms around her legs and began a slow rocking back and forth. One sound, one syllable would repeat in her head over and over for the years to come. Anna's last word-Cole."_

* * *

Prue twitched on the couch as she heard a hard knocking in the distance. Who the hell was coming to their house at this time of the night?

She would just wait for whoever it was to go away. Or maybe one of her sisters would get it for a change.

The knocking didn't stop and Prue drowsily opened one eye. Clouded by sleep she saw a sight she wasn't sure she believed.

She quickly opened her other eye and jumped up. No, she had seen what she thought she did.

Paige, well the girl that used to be her, was crouched in the corner holding her head like she belonged in an insane asylum. Her body propelled forward and backward as she rocked and with each surge backward, her head slammed against the wall.

Well, at least she didn't have to walk all the way to the door.

She was ready to jump into sister mode when Phoebe ran into the room and flipped on the light. She obviously was way ahead of Prue.

"Prue help me!" her little sister pleaded, those big brown eyes making Prue feel guilty for having been asleep when this began.

Phoebe crouched in front of her only little sister and tried to stop her surges by grabbing on to her. In response, Paige just rocked harder.

Prue stood in somewhat of a paralysis, not entirely sure of what to do. She was scared this time, now that she looked closer at Paige. She was mumbling something under her breath. What if Paige was really gone this time?

"Prue!" Phoebe pleaded her voice tear heavy "Help!"

Prue shook her head as she left her trance and ran over to Paige, entering her instinctual eldest sister mode. Her sister needed her.

Prue crouched down next to Paige, replacing Phoebe, and listened to Paige intoning.

"_Salus hic non invenitur. Salus hic non invenitur. Salus hic non invenitur. Salus hic non invenitur."_

"Salus hic non invenitur?" Prue whispered almost as softly as Paige was "Phoebe she's speaking Latin."

"Latin!?' Phoebe half shrieked, still unaccustomed to handling these panic situations. "Don't people like speak Latin when they are possessed?"

"People don't normally speak Latin at all." Prue replied staring at her baby sister "Safety is not found here."

"What?" Phoebe asked "What are you talking about?"

"I took Latin in college remember? For my job at the museum? That's what she's saying-Salus hic non invenitur-Safety is not found here."

"What is that supposed to mean? Why Latin? How does she know Latin? What are we going to do?" Phoebe wailed

"Pheebs honey, do me a favor and get Piper. Okay? Just go get her." Prue instructed looking at Phoebe in a way she hoped was reassuring

Phoebe nodded, paralyzed like Prue almost was and ran up the stairs shouting her second eldest sister's name.

Prue refocused on Paige, only to realize that she better stop her sister before she sustained some sort of brain injury.

She quickly seized Paige, in a way that could be considered rather forceful and pulled her sister's shaking arms from her head.

"Paige? Paige can you hear me?" Prue asked her sister whose face had fallen into a look of catatonia. "Paige?"

Paige didn't answer and she just stared into space. Her look was blank.

"Prue? Is she okay?"

Prue turned to see a sleep tousled Piper standing next to Phoebe who looked as anxious as ever.

Prue gulped as she took another look at Paige's blank face. "Well, she isn't hitting her head anymore."

Piper looked with concern down at Paige "She seemed fine earlier. What the hell happened?"

"I found her awake a few hours ago, she said she was afraid because of the movie, but she fell asleep again after I gave her some milk. The next thing I know she's slamming her skull into the wall."

"What do we do now?" Phoebe asked sheepishly, unsure of how she could help.

"We wake her up" Piper replied, seeming to be the calmest amongst the sisters. "I think I know what to do, so if you guys could just get one of your rooms ready for a guest, I think maybe I can shake Paige out of this."

"I'll do my room." Prue nodded "Pheebs, you can help me out."

Phoebe nodded too, taking orders as she didn't have any other idea. Inside, she worried that this was somehow her fault.

Prue and Phoebe headed upstairs as Piper stood still looking at Paige. How was she supposed to get her sister up and moving? She had no idea.

Well, Paige _was_ pretty light and Piper had carried her before…but that had been with Paige's consent. Now it was different, but what choice did she really have?

"Alrighty Missy Paige." Piper said crouching down to her sister's level "Let's get you an ice cold wakeup."

In her bedroom, Prue eyed Phoebe as she rushed around getting blankets and fluffing up the pillows on one side of Prue's bed where Paige would stay.

"Gee Pheebs, since when are you miss awesome big sister?" Prue joked as her sister pulled back Prue's covers so Paige would get in easier.

"Since I'm not an awesome big sister." Phoebe mumbled without looking up.

"What? Phoebe, what would make you say that?"

This time she looked up, tears threatening to spill out over her cheeks. "Because it's my fault she's like this."

Prue sat down on her bed and pulled Phoebe into a reassuring hug. "It isn't your fault sweetie. How can it be your fault?"

Prue felt the heat of Phoebe's tears on her shoulder. "Cause I didn't protect her."

Phoebe began to sob, and Prue realized that she was faced with bigger family problems then she thought. "None of us protected her. You couldn't remember? You were thrown by the demon. If anyone was supposed to protect her it was me. I'm the oldest."

"You can't always blame yourself Prue. She's my baby sister. My only baby sister. I'm supposed to protect her like you and Piper protected me."

"Paige is…was…a big girl. She was independent and thought she could take care of herself. I'm sure in some ways she still does. What were you supposed to have done to prevent the night she got turned into a kid? Followed her up to bed? She never would have allowed it. Besides, you didn't know it was going to happen and you couldn't babysit her 24/7."

"I should've" Phoebe said wiping her eyes on her sleeve "Piper didn't care enough about her because you died…she alienated her…imagine how lost she must of felt all alone in a new family. I could've done more for her as a sister. Maybe then the demon wouldn't have found her such an easy target."

"You forget he targeted you too sweetie and you have had plenty of sisterly love and support. Things are different now. Piper is taking care of Paige as we speak."

"Yeah but at what price? Paige will never be Paige again. We've messed her up forever. We did. Nobody else but us. Can you imagine how she must've wished for us when she was all alone with that demon doing God knows what to her? And you know what? We never came. We never came."

Prue sighed, her own heart clenching as she knew a lot of what Phoebe was saying was true, "We tried our best, and it wasn't good enough. All we can do now is be hear for Paige, try and make her herself again as best as possible, and make sure never to let anything bad happen to her again. Okay?"

"Okay." Phoebe sniffed "We have to kill the demon that did this to her."

"We will. We'll get him. After our vacation is over of course."

"Are we going to let Paige fight demons anymore? She doesn't have to now that you're back. The Power of Three can survive without her."

"I know how you feel. When the time comes, as her older sisters, you, me, and Piper will make the decision that's best for our baby sister. Right now, I don't think she could handle it."

Phoebe nodded as she leaned into Prue's shoulder. "I love you so much Prue. I'm glad I can talk to you like this. Not everyone is this close to their sisters. For a minute I thought I wouldn't be either."

"Do you mean the Roger thing? Or my being dead?"

"Both. Everything. It's a wonder our sisterhood has survived."

"Yeah it is. Well, I love you too Pheebs, but we have to finish getting stuff together for when Paige gets here."

"I know."

And with that, Prue rose and continued to set up for Paige, while Phoebe went downstairs to make her little sister some hot chocolate.

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Piper had placed Paige in the tub and began to run cold water over her little sister hoping it would shake her out of her catatonia.

"Don't worry Paige. We're going to make it all okay as usual." Piper assured her little sister as she sat in the top the same blank, dopey look on her face.

"I really wish you would snap out of it." Piper sighed "You're scaring me honey."

Paige still said nothing, as Piper began to pour cold water over her sister's head. She needed it to be washed anyway if it was going to get wet, and hopefully the cold water would prevent any swelling that was begging to arise from Paige's banging of her head.

Piper began shampooing Paige's dark thick hair as she got the vague déjà vu of having done this before, after they had found Paige battered in the underworld. Piper shuddered. She hated to think of the bright Paige she once knew in such a vulnerable and pathetic state.

It wasn't much different than Paige was now actually. Hopefully she wouldn't revert to not talking and being an emotional wreck again though, even though Piper felt she had every right to be.

After she washed Paige's hair, with still not a peep out of her sister, she began to brush it while it was still wet so that her curls would form nicely and her hair would be knot free. As she did so, she began to cry, just a little.

She was thinking about the irony of the fact that she had wasted the chance she had to get to know the real Paige and now was stuck with sort of half of the package. How much had her rejection hurt Paige? Would her sister really never feel comfortable coming to her with the big problems she had in life? Piper hoped she could reverse how much she hurt Paige, though she knew emotional scars ran deep and it would probably take a lot before Paige spoke to Piper about her real feeling, and not just when she was put into a position of vulnerability, like after being just raped.

Out of her thoughts, Piper heard a low chattering come from the tub and noticed her sister's lips trembling and teeth chattering with the cold.

"Paigey, are you alright?" Piper asked not really expecting an answer, but speaking to Paige as one sometimes speaks to a baby "I think it's time to get you out."

Paige's face contorted as she reentered reality.

"Co-co-co-col" She stuttered out, not quite able to make out the words through her chattering teeth.

Piper, pleased that Paige was no longer in a stupor smiled a little. "You're cold Missy Paige? Is that it? Come on lets get you out then."

Piper helped Paige out of the tub and wrapped her baby sister in towel.

Through chattering teeth Paige tried again. "Cole"

Piper nodded and smiled at her sister. "I know you're cold honey. We'll get you some nice pajamas and then you are going to go back to sleep in Prue's room. Come on now."

Piper ushered her little sister out of the bathroom as Paige frowned to herself. How was she going to make her sister's understand?


	20. Chapter 20

Paige pouted as Piper helped her into pajamas and then as Prue tucked her into bed. She wasn't entirely sure what had happened between the living room and the bathroom, but she knew she had remembered something important and that she had to tell her sisters as soon as possible.

Well not all of them. How could she possibly tell Phoebe her boyfriend was the evil demon who kidnapped and raped her?

Piper came over and kissed her on the head "Well, I'm going back to bed. Goodnight Paige, I love you."

"Night Paigey." Phoebe said as she repeated Piper's actions, though Paige had to try not to flinch or start crying right then and there.

As Piper and Phoebe left the room, they met with Prue who stood at the doorway of her bedroom.

"Goodnight guys." She said pulling both of her little sisters into a big hug "I love you both."

"We love you too." Phoebe replied "Take care of Paige, okay?"

"Always"

"I guess maybe we'll have a talk with her in the morning, if she doesn't say anything beforehand." Piper suggested with a shrug "This is becoming a bigger and bigger issue. Maybe its time to look to someone for professional help."

Prue frowned "Yeah, that's something we need to discuss though we'd probably need to find someone magical because who else will understand the full story? That's a discussion for tomorrow though. It's already 4 am. We might as well go back to sleep for a few more hours."

Piper nodded "Alright. Sounds good. Let us know if anything happens."

"Of course" Prue reassured her sisters pulling them into one last big hug "Sleep tight"

"You too Prue" Phoebe replied and as Piper walked away she added softly "And thanks."

"Anytime baby sister." Prue smiled at Phoebe before retreating back into her room where Paige lay in bed looking frightened and conflicted as she played with the seams on Prue's quilt.

Prue climbed into bed and leaned over to kiss Paige's head, deciding that she herself wouldn't bring up Paige's latest incident.

"Night sweetie. I love you." Prue said tucking the sheets around Paige's chin "I'm here if you need me."

Prue then leaned over and shut out her night table lamp cloaking her room in darkness.

Prue lay awake waiting. She knew it wouldn't be long. Any minute now…

"Prue?" Came Paige's tiny voice from next to her, just like Prue had expected

Prue turned towards Paige "What's the matter honey?"

Paige didn't even respond she just flung herself into Prue's arms and began sobbing into her shoulder. What was she going to do? How was she supposed to tell her sisters what was going on? Would they even believe her?

Prue's eyes widened in shock. Paige was tough, and it wasn't often she acted like this. The last time really had been just before she returned from the underworld. Now Prue was worried. Whatever Paige saw before her sisters got to her must've been awful.

"Shhh honey" Prue attempted to sooth rubbing Paige's back "What's wrong? What did you see before that's got you so upset, huh?"

Paige shook her head and for a minute Prue wondered if she had been too pushy.

Then she wailed- "Ohh, you're going to be sooo mad at me."

Prue was even more surprised now. "Paige, nothing you say will drive me away. I'm your big sister, and I'll love you no matter what." She reassured her sister anyway

"I have to tell somebody, I tried to tell Piper but she misunderstood." Paige replied with more head shaking. "You probably won't even believe me." She sniffed.

Prue smoothed her sister's hair, and pulled her into a warm hug "Of course I'd believe you. You're my baby sister and nothing trumps that. Nothing okay?"

"What about another baby sister? What then?" Paige said again dissolving into sobs

"Phoebe?" Prue asked "What's this got to do with her?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Paige replied turning away from Prue and trying to pull the covers over her head "Forget I said anything…I should've never brought it up."

"You don't think I would've?" Prue replied as she saw Paige retreat away, "Paige?!"

She could hear her sister's sniffling again as she began to hiccup beneath the blanket that she thought was shielding her from Prue.

"Paige, you cannot just say something like that to me and then take it all back. If something is going on I need to know so I can protect you and this family." Prue tried to reason with her sister, but also kind of trick the truth out of her. 'You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to say Phoebe would you?"

"No" Paige said from beneath the blankets "No"

"Well what if whatever you are keeping from me could put her in danger?"

"Maybe if I don't keep it from you I will be in danger? What then?! If I tell you both Phoebe and I will get hurt. This whole family will get hurt!" Paige screamed at her sister her voice breaking into sobs "And it will all be my fault as usual!"

Prue didn't know what to say. Was Paige hinting at what she thought she was? It couldn't be…

"Is this about Cole?" Prue asked her voice rising a little bit into sort of a shriek in conjunction with her own shock.

Paige tensed from her spot under the covers. "No! I never said that! Leave me alone!" She yelled dissolving into more tears

Prue was surprised neither of her sisters had come in yet to see what was going on. Their rooms were right next door. What if Phoebe had heard something? What would she do? Hopefully she was asleep, and Prue knew that if she was all that was shared between her and Paige would be a secret still.

"Paige, please, you have to tell me. I'm your big sister! I'll fix it!" Prue pleaded, knowing that she had to know the truth so she could break whatever news it was to her sisters. If it was as big as Prue thought, then she would do everything in her power to stop the blowup she anticipated.

"Go away Prue!" Paige sobbed "I have a headache and you're yelling at me."

Prue listened to her sister's whine and couldn't picture her as anything but the child she really was. Prue really had to be more careful and mindful of Paige's delicacy. Her little sister had had enough.

" Okay, okay shh." Prue calmed Paige pulling her out of her cocoon and letting her lean against her chest. "I'm sorry honey that I yelled at you. Do you want me to get you some Tylenol or Advil or something?"

Paige shook her head "No just hold me"

Prue was once again taken aback by Paige's blatant immaturity but nevertheless complied with her sister. She wasn't acting like herself, and Prue would have to get to the bottom of it eventually. But it could wait one more night, it would have too.

Prue looked at her sister's face as it was illuminated by the light of the moon shining through her curtains. Her eyes were closed, but Prue knew she wasn't asleep and couldn't help wondering what was going through her head. She was almost sure whatever had happened to Paige had something to do with Cole, but how could she face that if it was true? Would she really be forced to choose sides like that? Was the man her sister loved really capable of hurting someone as innocent as Paige? How could he do this to Phoebe?

But Prue was jumping ahead to conclusions. She could be talking about anybody, though the pool was limited. Maybe, well, there were too many maybes. Prue would just have to wait until morning.

"I'm sorry" Paige mumbled again, though this time she sounded very close to sleep "Please don't hate me."

Prue leaned down and kissed her baby sister one last time "I could never hate you baby. I love you very much and that will never change."

Paige was silent for a long time, and Prue was almost sure she had fallen asleep. She was close to sleep herself.

Before she drowsed off, almost inaudible, came Paige's voice again.

"Wait"

* * *

Hey guys. Sorry its been awhile but this school year has been crazily hectic. I hope you enjoyed this two chapter speed update, and that it will hold you off until August when I get back from summer camp, when I will update much faster. Let me know what you think and thank you to those who are still reading! 


	21. Chapter 21

I know. Excuses don't even begin to cover it this time. Lets just leave it to family things and my junior year of high school. I hope you enjoy this chapter though, and hopefully another one will be rearing its head in a timely fashion. If all works out Known will finally be updated after a long period of "what am I going to do with this?" and I may also have another one shot out. Fingers Crossed 

* * *

Prue watched Paige sleep in the early hours of the morning, her chest rising up and down in beat with her breathes.

She looked calm, and peaceful. It was enough to break Prue's heart considering what she had semi-learned to night before.

Paige had an episode, one that sent her into a stupor, only to be pulled out and into a world of fear and doubt. What had she said last night?

Oh yeah. Prue had told her that she loved her and that would never change. Then Paige had told her to wait.

Whatever this was, whatever had happened, whatever Paige had remembered, it was absolutely monumental.

And Prue had to be the one to handle it. Just like always.

That was her job though, and she would never trade it in. She loved her sisters and knew what it was like to lose them.

She could never lose them again. Which is why she would have to be extremely careful how she brought this issue up with her other sisters.

Especially if this was really all about Cole.

Paige stirred slightly, and eventually opened her eyes to the light pouring into Prue's bedroom.

Realizing she didn't know where she was she started to panic, only to be met with the smirking face of her eldest sister.

"Seriously, Paige. You have stayed in here before" Prue teased

"Lemme alone Prue. It's still early" Paige grumbled, but still smiling a bit herself as she went to lie down again.

"Ah ah ah Paige. Don't go back to sleep" Prue said stopping Paige "You have to get up so we can have a sister day."

Paige perked up at the sound of this, but then frowned. "A sister day? Are you sure this is the best time?"

"Why I'm positively sure." Prue said with a smile. And she was sure. If all hell was about to break loose, she wanted there to be at least one good day left for them to look back on.

Paige gave her a look but nevertheless pulled herself out of bed. "Okay. If you say so"

A half hour later, all three of her younger sisters sat before her dressed, but still looking kind of tired. She had a plan she believed would change that.

"Prue why'd you wake us up so early huh?" Phoebe asked, incredibly cranky as usual.

"Yeah what's the deal?" Piper groaned "All you did was wake us up, tell us to dress comfortably, and be down here as soon as possible. I'd like to know what's up."

"Me too. I thought you said we were having a sister day." Paige started to whine playing off of her older sister's complaints.

"Okay children. If you can't behave, then I guess I won't tell you what's up for today." Prue replied with a smirk on her face.

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige instantly quieted.

"That's better. So…who wants to know where we're going?"

"Me me me me me!" Phoebe shouted anxiously. Paige would've joined in, but she was still a bit shaky from the night before.

"Alright, well we're going to need your help Paige, because we're orbing to Disney World!"

Phoebe and Piper jumped up in excitement, and Paige soon followed suit. She had never been to Disney World before, but had always wanted to go.

"Yay!" Phoebe cried hugging Prue aggressively

"Not that I'm not happy, but what calls for such an elaborate sister day?" Piper asked Prue, once she was over her initial excitement.

"Just cuz" Prue said catching Paige's eye briefly. What was going on was between just them for now, and though she planned to reveal it shortly, it could not happen now.

The sisters were in a state of excitement as Paige put her arms around all of them and orbed them into an empty bathroom stall near the entrance of The Magic Kingdom. They were as discreet as possible slipping out and they made their way to the gate to pay.

"I have wanted to do this since I was four!" Phoebe gushed to the park attendant as he scanned her ticket.

Prue rolled her eyes and gave the attendant a smirk as he scanned her ticket. "Little sisters, what can you do?"

* * *

The day was passing too quickly for Paige who was having the time of her life on all of the rides. Amusement parks were her favorite thing ever, and Prue had done a good job taking her mind off of the major issue it was dealing with. She was still anxious though.

"Prue I want one of those big lollipops" Phoebe whined pointing to a vendor nearby. "Can we get one? Please Please Please!

"Why is it that I feel like you have become 7 again?" Prue groaned, but good-naturedly. "While we're here Paige do you want one too?"

Paige tugged at her worn in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt. "I guess."

"What's the matter sweetie?" Piper asked smoothing her youngest sister's hair.

"Nothing really. I just didn't sleep so well last night, so I'm kinda tired."

"Well we can fix that Paigey. We don't want your day to be ruined."

"I'm dying to see this one" Paige grumbled skeptically.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, Paige was sitting in a wheelchair being pushed by Prue and drinking a huge iced coffee.

"I feel a little deceitful doing this Prue. I'm not actually physically disabled and I don't actually need a wheelchair. I'm just tired, I would've sucked it up." Paige pointed out to her eldest sister

"Oh shush Paige. I can tell by your voice you are feeling better already. And what do you care anyway? Most people who use wheelchairs here don't actually need them. It was this or the stroller. I think this looks a little more realistic." Prue laughed

"Yeah Yeah" Paige said "Can we go on the teacups now?"

"Demands...demands…demands. You want anything else Phoebs? Piper?"

"I'm fine" Piper said

"Me too, for now anyway" Phoebe laughed "So, the teacups, huh? You don't want to do anything more adventurous Paigey?"

Paige pouted. "You're just making fun of me because I'm scared of roller coasters."

"Well, yeah" Phoebe smiled. "You deserve it though"

"C'mon kids. Don't ruin the fun" Piper warned "Let's just all get along"

* * *

Paige felt the a cold hand patting her face as she slowly came to, because while it had seemed to her that she had been awake, she had to have been dreaming.

"Piper?" she questioned as she blinked open her eyes and tried to get her vision to focus. She felt like she had been hit by a truck.

"Yeah sweetie?" Piper replied, smiling gently at her baby sister.

Paige shook her head and tried to sit up but was eased back down slowly. "What the hell happened?"

Piper laughed as she smoothed back Paige's hair " You fainted. First we thought you just fell asleep in the wheelchair, but then we realized that you had heatstroke."

"That's a happy memory for me to hold onto for my darkest days." Paige smirked against her throbbing head, as she looked around what must have been their Disney hotel room.

"Piper?"

"Yeah Paige?"

"So we're really in Disney World and stuff?"

"Yes…"Piper said raising her eyebrow

"And last night I had a blackout or something back at the beach house in California?"

"Uhuh…"

"But now we're in Disney World?"

"Looks like it."

"My life is so confusing." Paige groaned as she lay back on her pillow.

"I know. I'm sorry Paigey." Piper replied trying to give her sister reassurance. "Is there anything I can get for you, or do for you, or anything?"

Paige smiled gently and just reached out for her older sister. "No, just stay with me for a while."

"I have been honey. It's almost dinner time. Do you want to lie down more?"

"Well, that depends on where Prue and Phoebe are."

"They're exploring the hotel, maybe swimming, or talking."

"Can I play too?" Paige said with a pout against her aches and pains.

Piper frowned "I don't know honey. I'm worried about you. You keep getting sick and all of this excitement you keep going through isn't helping anything. Maybe we should just rest and see."

"But Pieeeeperrr." Paige whined her pout deepening "We're on vaycayytioon."

"I know Paigey, but I'm the big sister so you have to do what I say. So we'll rest for a little while longer and then go find our other sisters."

"Okay." Paige sighed, nevertheless enjoying the attention she was getting from Piper that she didn't used to be sure she was ever going to have. Perhaps now would be a good time to feel out this sister's response to her secret.

"Piper?"

"Paige, I thought we agreed you were going to rest and not talk so much?"

"But this is important."

"Okay, fine then, what's the matter now?" Piper replied anyway, a smirk on her face, as

she continued to stroke Paige's face with her cold hands in an effort to cool her down.

"You love me like you love Phoebe right?"

"Yes, of course. I love you differently too though."

"How?"

"Well, I love Phoebe like a love a baby sister, because she has been my baby sister my whole life. But she also gets on my nerves, and is irritating like most little sisters are. You, well I love you like a baby sister too, but I didn't grow up with you so you never got a chance to annoy me. I only know you now, and after all I put you through, and after all you went through, I just want to protect you. Like a baby."

"And you'll love me forever?"

"Of course honey, and I'm sorry if I ever gave you an impression of otherwise."

"Okay, but what if something happened to Phoebe that was my fault?"

"Like what? Like an accident?"

"No, like let's say I hurt her and she never wanted to talk to me again?"

"Paigey, Phoebe, Prue, and I will always love you no matter what. We're not going to just dump you on the curb and leave you to rot. No matter how bad things get, we're in this together. You're our sister. I don't know how many more times I can tell you or how I can show you better."

Paige shook her head, in disbelief at Piper's words, and tried again "But you don't understand Piper. What if I hurt Phoebe really badly?"

Piper looked deep into her sister's hazel eyes which were swimming with emotion for what seemed like the first time since this whole ordeal began.

"Paige...I…what are you trying to tell me? Please honey, you can tell me anything. I promise, I won't be mad."

As quick as the doors opened they shut again as Paige numbed herself and pretended to be cheerful 'Nothing Piper. Nothing. Sorry. It was just a hypothetical situation."

Piper tried to find the truth in Paige's eyes, but to no avail. She had a feeling this conversation was tied to the events of the previous night, but decided not to press it. For the first time she thought maybe Prue had some logic in her, thinking that bringing Paige to this place of innocence and making her feel comfortable would get her to tell the truth faster than locking her in the house which had backfired last time.

"Okay, but you know I'm here if you need to talk." Piper offered, once again.

Paige so wanted to tell Piper everything, right then and there. She wished she could, but she had decided she would have to keep it all to herself. She would not ruin her sister's marriage over a situation she wasn't sure of or because of her past.

She would not destroy this family too.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer-Although I haven't seen one of these on a story in awhile, I must put it out there that I do not own Disney World. Obviously. **

Prue and Phoebe walked through the gift shop, arms linked and happy. Despite all of the Paige-related problems they couldn't seem to escape even on vacation, they were having a good time at the happiest place on earth.

They were staying at the gorgeous Grand Floridian Resort, funded of course by none other than Victor. While Phoebe thought that their trip was just for fun and sisterly bonding that would help all of them, Prue knew it had a much larger significance.

She hadn't been able to weasel it out of Paige yet, not fully anyway. She was positive though that it was Cole who had done all of this to her, and it made her feel deathly ill inside, but she couldn't let her sisters know just yet.

She was torn in two. Paige was her baby; she loved her and wanted to protect her from everything. Sometimes she felt so guilty about what had happened she couldn't handle Paige's emotions. She would get angry at her and then realizing she had just caused even more damage, have to go back and apologize, willing that Paige would let her back in, just one more time.

But at the same time, Phoebe was her baby sister too. She wanted so badly to protect her from what Paige knew as the truth that she had whisked them all away to Florida. Away from Cole, and away from everything that could possibly make Paige reveal the facts that would drive her and Phoebe apart.

"Prue? Prue?" Phoebe said with a smile shaking her eldest sister out of her trance.

Prue smiled back at Phoebe and pulled her in close. "Sorry, honey bee. I've got a lot on my mind"

The two left the gift shop and made their way into the extraordinary lobby where they cuddled together on a couch. Prue took in the gazes of some of the other visitors, who looked on with envy at their sisterly bliss.

"Paigey?" Phoebe sighed resting her head on Prue's shoulder, an ever so small bit of resentment polluting her brain

Prue played with her hair and kissed her little sister on the forehead. "You too silly. How are you feeling lately?"

Phoebe shrugged and sighed again "I'm okay. I know you're going to say I told you so, but there is something not right about Cole. I don't know what it is, but he keeps disappearing on me."

Prue brightened slightly inwardly, hoping this would maybe lighten the blow when push came to shove. "Hey, lets not think about that right now Pheebs, okay? I want this vacation to be fun for us, so just try and forget about it until we get home"

Phoebe smiled up at her big sister "Okey dokey. Shouldn't be so hard considering this place is designed to make you feel like a carefree little kid"

"Oh I'm so glad you feel that way" Prue smiled pulling her little sister into a tight hug and the tickling her until she dissolved into giggles.

"Prue! Prue! Stop!" Phoebe gasped through her laughter "People are staring!"

"Not until you declare my superiority to all others" Prue smirked

"Okay okay, Prudence Astrid Halliwell is the bestest most greatest big sister in the whole wide world"

"Why thank you Phoebe. That was very kind"

Phoebe laughed and ran away from Prue towards the elevator "Too bad it isn't true! I'm going to go find my real bestest sisters!"

"Oh know you don't" Prue said chasing her laughing too, as Phoebe almost shut the elevator door on her

"Hey missy" she said, subtly flicking it open with her telekinesis. "You're in for it now!"

They laughed all the way up to the hotel room, Prue ruffling Phoebe's hair and Phoebe poking Prue. Sure they were stared at by the other patrons who looked at them, two grown women acting like little kids.

But they didn't care at all, their happiness so intense at the moment that very little could shake them out of it.

In the room, Paige lay with her head on Piper's chest as Piper stroked her black curls. Although Paige had said she was feeling better, she had been in the hospital just a few days before and Piper was incredibly nervous about her being over stimulated. She was also confused about what Paige had said regarding hurting Phoebe, but decided to put it in the back of her mind and ask Prue about it later. Prue was sure to have something good planned for tonight and she didn't want to ruin it by making Paige remember her life wasn't all about innocence and fun.

Paige breathed heavily with her eyes closed, feigning a light sleep so Piper wouldn't bother her about what she had said. She had gone a little too far with that one, so far that she didn't really have a cover for what came out. She was scared more than anything that it would come out and that her sisters would side with Phoebe, leaving her alone once again. Everyone said it wouldn't happen, that she was being silly, but she couldn't get over the feeling.

It brought back too many memory rushes that Paige had to fight to keep out of her head. She let out a little whimper despite herself.

"Paige sweetie, are you okay?" Piper asked concerned.

Paige lifted herself up and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, just had um, a little itch in my throat"

Piper looked at Paige skeptically as the youngest rubbed her eyes tiredly, her face flushed from her brief sleep.

"Prue and Phoebe still aren't back?" She whined, getting cabin fever

At that moment though, Prue and Phoebe barged into the room, all laughter and smiles. Piper smiled at their silliness while Paige pouted in true baby sister fashion about being left out of the fun.

"You too sure are smiley. Enjoyed your adventure?" Piper asked relieved that Phoebe looked better off than she had in awhile.

"Mmhmm" Phoebe grinned happily pouncing over to the bed where Piper and Paige were with Prue close behind.

Phoebe turned and lay so her head was in Paige's lap. Paige just looked down and deepened her pout crossing her arms over her chest.

"Uhoh" Phoebe smiled baby-voicing at her little sister "Paigey's gwumpy"

"Oh baybeee" Prue said mimicking Paige's pout "Why the long face?"

Paige continued to somewhat feign annoyance, surprisingly since her sisters antics were starting to amuse her. "Because you didn't invite me to play with you and I'm always getting left behind!" She said with a humpfh.

"Oh you wanna play? You wanna play huh?" Phoebe laughed "I'll show you playing"

She reached over and began to tickle Paige, just as Prue had tickled her. Prue and Piper soon joined in turning Paige into a giggling, gasping mess.

Prue smiled at her Paigey's happiness. She got up and dusted herself off, noticing how late it had gotten. "As fun as that was, we better get a move on girls. We have a dinner reservation that we don't want to miss"

"Where! Where! Where!" Paige giving a little jump on the bed each time she said it. Piper's heart fluttered a little at seeing her sister so close to the adorable child she had been and getting back into her funny old self.

"Get ready and you'll see" Prue said enticingly, lifting Paige off the bed and swinging her to the floor.

The sisters were all in such pleasant moods as they got ready, it was incredible. Phoebe and Paige hadn't argued once, Paige hadn't complained about being treated like a baby when Phoebe offered to help her with an outfit, and Prue hadn't gotten annoyed at Paige yet. Piper, her middle sister traits still dominant, was highly pleased.

" I look cute" Paige said posing in the mirror in the tiny denim shorts and vintage Mickey-mouse shirt Phoebe had picked out for her. "This place is casual right Prue?"

Prue who dressed in longer shorts and a flowy white tank top nodded as she walked into the bathroom "Yes, but I'm still not telling you where it is"

Paige stuck her tongue out at Prue and turned back to the mirror. She concentrated on her hair and willed it into two pigtails, straight except for the little curl she gave them at the end. Next she concentrated on her face. With just a thought she was able to make herself look prettily made up.

"Hey, no fair using magic!" Phoebe cried jokingly seeing Paige as she came out of the bedroom area of their suite into the living room area where Paige was. "I'm gonna tell on you"

She didn't even have to though because Prue and Piper stepped out of the bathroom ready to go at that moment. It was pretty obvious that Paige wouldn't have been able to groom herself that successfully without magic.

"Oh Paigey, do we need to give you another lecture about personal gain?" Prue said giving her sister a semi-stern look, remembering always that she would be responsible for Paige's magical irresponsibility.

Paige gave her big sister big brown puppy dog eyes. "But Prue, I didn't do it. Phoebe cast a spell on me"

"Did not"

"Did too"

"Did not"

"Did too"

The two youngest stood facing each other identical scowls on their faces before they both cracked up.

"Phew" Piper said as they all headed out "I'm so glad you were just kidding"

"Me too" Prue agreed "No reason to ruin a perfectly good night. But seriously Paige, no more personal gain"

Paige had to stifle a laugh with her hand, because behind Prue's back Phoebe was doing a silent impression of the oldest that was hysterical.

The four sisters boarded a monorail and took it until they reached the Contemporary hotel. It was just as big and nice as the hotel they were staying in. Paige was uncharacteristically excited as she linked arms with Phoebe. She was actually having a nice time for once.

They came to a restaurant called Chef Mickey's. It was one of those character dining experiences where the characters moved around the restaurant as you were eating and was supposed to be really fun.

As the sisters stepped into the restaurant, they had a souvenir picture taken and were led to a table. They were seated just as the Mickey, Minnie and all their friends were in the middle of a very cheesy and exaggerated napkin dance.

"Oh come on…" Paige said, trying to hide the fact that she actually thought this would be fun "What am I five?"

Prue just laughed, seeing clearly in Paige's eyes just how excited she was.

Indeed Paige bounced around all of dinner. She ran back to the table after visiting the buffet, unable to get over the fact that they had Mickey Mouse shaped Macaroni and Cheese which she was now eating.

"Is it good Paigey?" Prue questioned, laughing inwardly at the stark contrast of Paige's choice to the more sophisticated meals she, Piper, and Phoebe were enjoying.

Paige nodded exuberantly and continued to act in the most positive way her sisters had seen in forever actually, even waving around her napkin as the characters came around to perform the same dance. Again. And again. And again.

By the fourth time, Phoebe was getting a little tired of it. "Please, I cannot sit through this anymore"

They didn't really have a choice though, as Paige was still running around like a little kid much in need of control as she came back from the dessert table with a plate piled way too high.

"Ah ah, Paigey" Prue warned as her youngest sister began to unwrap a cupcake "There is no way in hell I am letting you consume that much sugar. You are already too hyper as it is."

Paige frowned as she bit into her cupcake "But don't you want me to be happy on my vacation?"

"Yes, but I want to be happy too, which I won't be if you spend all night running around the hotel room and then crash tomorrow"

"Hmmm" Paige sighed looking at her dessert plate "Well alright I guess, you guys can have some if you want"

They each took a little something but it barely put a dent in the amount Paige had taken. Even though she had agreed to Prue's conditions, her older sisters watched in shock as Paige, who never ate anything anymore, took a just a single bite out of every dessert left on the plate.

Prue shook her head " I can't believe I have to foot the bill for this"

"I can't believe that you are probably going to be sick" Piper groaned

As Paige, whose face bore chocolate remnants of her personal party just smiled endearingly as her sisters laughed at her cuteness, unable to be mad really.

Paige started to complain though the second they left the restaurant and got on the monorail "Are we going back to the hotel? Because I want to do something else for fun"

"Of course we aren't going back kiddo. Haven't you ever heard of the parade and fireworks shows?" Prue grinned in response.

"Oh this is already the best vacation ever!" Paige exclaimed hugging Prue affectionately, noticing that both Piper and Phoebe were sharing in her excitement.

The second the monorail stopped at The Magic Kingdom, Paige pulled all of her older sisters out of the car unable to wait any longer.

"Come on! I want to get good seats" She insisted, pulling on Prue's arm

Prue sighed inwardly. Peppy sugar-high Paige was just as exhausting as terribly depressed Paige.

"Hold up a sec guys" Piper said " We should stop and get another wheelchair. I'm worried that Paige might faint again"

"I don't need the wheelchair" Paige lightly protested "It's getting silly"

Prue and Piper just ignored her though as Phoebe laughed at Paige's plight.

Paige pinched Phoebe "You know, one day you're going to be where I am now and I will make sure to laugh at you too"

Phoebe just continued to laugh, her mood unable to be spoiled.

"Hop in princess" Piper kind of invited but really demanded.

Paige just shook her head and sat down, allowing herself to be wheeled to Main Street for the show. Once they found the spot they wanted, Prue went off to a store for a minute, while Piper and Phoebe stayed with Paige.

"I can't sit on the ground" Phoebe said tugging at her small summer skirt "Shouldn't they have chairs or something?"

"Most people don't wear mini-skirts with improper underwear to these things" Piper quipped

"Pie-per" Phoebe groaned noticing the stares she immediately started getting

Piper laughed despite herself "Paige let Phoebe sit in the wheelchair and then you sit in her lap"

The two looked at each other and shrugged "Fine" they mumbled simultaneously, situating themselves accordingly.

Paige allowed herself to get quite comfortable in Phoebe's lap, hoping this would help her and her closest in age sister repair some iffy bonds. She knew Phoebe was a sucker for her anyway when she acted all sweet.

"Well aren't you two just the cutest baby sisters in town" Prue smiled returning with a shopping bag. She pulled out four electric light-sticks that changed colors and handed them out to her sisters.

"I thought they'd be fun for the dark" Prue explained "And I kind of got conned by the saleswoman"

"Well, what were you really buying at the store?" Paige wondered out loud

Prue blushed, "Well it was supposed to be a surprised but I ordered us matching T-shirts with our names on them that we should get tomorrow"

Paige laughed to herself. Prue was a big sucker for all the sisterly stuff underneath it all. She was a little embarrassed though that they were all going to be matching. Of course it wouldn't draw attention, not at all.

"Piper?" Paige called out sweetly

"Yes honey?"

"Can I buy a lollipop from that vendor over there?"

"Oh Paige, I don't think that's such a good idea considering the amount of sugar you had with dinner"

"But they're my favorite" Paige whined

"Uh"

"Pleaaaasse?"

"Pleaaassssse?"

"Pleasssssseeeeee?"

Piper turned to Prue. Prue just shook her head, indicating that she didn't care either way at this point, Paige was far gone.

"You better buy it for her" Phoebe warned "It'll be the only thing that shuts her up"

Seeing the logic behind this, Piper bought the desired item. Paige contentedly stuck the lollipop in her cheek, victorious, and snuggled into Phoebe, eager for the parade to start.

All for sisters watched the parade before them, mesmerized by the non supernatural magic they were witnessing. The fireworks were great too, and though it was late by the time they were finished, none of the sisters was in a hurry to leave.

Especially Paige who just got crazier as the night got longer. Jumping around and skipping, Prue and Piper found it hard to keep track of her, eventually insisting that she sit in the wheelchair until they got to the park gate for nothing more really than the fear of losing her in the crowds.

They only needed a boat to get back to the hotel this time, which was nice and easy, especially since Phoebe looked like she would pass out any minute. Piper and Prue were sharing her sentiments but Paige was not willing to leave them alone.

In the hotel room, the three older sisters tried to get ready to sleep, while Paige jumped on the big queen bed she was supposed to share with Prue that night.

Prue figured it was about time to be a little firm with Paige, seeing as it was after midnight and they would have to be up early the next day for the next surprise Prue had up her sleeve. After all, Phoebe was already passed out in the other bed and Piper was ready to do the same thing.

"Okay baby" Prue said approaching Paige with her hands on her hips "Time for bed"

"But-"

"No buts Paige. You may be a night owl but you are a really crummy morning person and we have to get up early tomorrow if you want to have as much fun as you did today"

Paige complied, mildly irritated that her childish ploys, mostly meant as a tactic to keep her mind off of her pain were being misinterpreted as actual babyness.

After brushing her teeth and climbing into bed, Paige saw Prue come back into the room with a plastic mug full of something.

"Here you go honey. Drink up. I honestly can't forget to give it to you anymore because your weight is dropping too low." Prue reasoned with her sister, who she knew would be overly reluctant. She had also heated the liquid this time in the hotel room microwave so she was hoping it would calm Paige down and get her to sleep.

Paige glared at the mug of the offending Pediasure. Prue handed her the mug which was pink with Disney princesses, had a built in straw, and said "Paige" on it.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me" Paige moaned "I already brushed my teeth though and I don't like this stuff at all."

Prue climbed in bed next to Paige, put her arms around her and sighed. "I didn't actually give you a choice sweetheart."

Paige was reluctant, but she had no way of escaping Prue's glare that would be focused on her until she cooperated. Paige cautiously took a sip and decided that it wasn't so bad, this time it was chocolate flavored at least. Certainly not worth ruining Prue's mood about, despite how much it annoyed Paige that she was without a say.

Prue rubbed her baby sisters back in the dark hotel room, lit only by the silly show Prue had left on in the background to entertain Paige. Paige drank the contents of the mug, soothed, as Prue expected, by its heat. Surprisingly, Paige felt safe, loved, and relaxed. It made her think that maybe her sisters really knew what was best for her after all.

Soon Prue looked down and found Paige fast asleep, cup still clumsily in her grasp. Prue pulled it out, placed it on the night stand and gave her baby sister a kiss on the forehead, settling in for what she hoped would be a nightmare free night.

****************************************************************************************************

**Hi everyone who actually read this! I know I haven't updated in over a year and I'm really sorry. I was endlessly busy and things just kept happening nonstop. I also sort of lost inspiration for this story. It took me reading both Changes and what I had of this again, watching Charmed a lot, and getting some of my other stories out of my head to get back interested in finishing what has been my biggest most complete story for the past 4 years. I hope I still have some readers out there or that I can find some new readers. Either way, review! Because you have no idea how much it helps me. : )**

**-Deb**


	23. Chapter 23

**Important Author's Note: Okay, so here is what might be a much awaited update. If you are new to the story, start with my other story Changes and then proceed to Chapter One of this story. If not, you will be lost in what is quite the web of conflicts and character developments that are in many ways rather distanced from the reality of the Charmed Universe. I am not entirely sure what my intentions were for this story when I last wrote for it, but I am trying to be as consistent as possible with what I wrote in the past. I hope I have pretty much preserved the essence of the story for those who loved it, even though if I were rewriting the whole thing, I would probably make some different narrative choices. Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or any related characters.**

Paige awoke just a few hours after falling asleep, needing to use the bathroom badly.

"Of course," she grumbled, aggravated to be roused from her much-needed sleep, which had been uncharacteristically peaceful. "This is your fault," she grumbled softly to Prue, who was snoring lightly. Paige tossed about to untangle herself from her oldest sister's form, poking her arm, which had been slung across her body protectively. "You just had to give me that stupid drink."

She rose from the big bed that they were sharing and stopped to watch her oldest sister sleep for a minute, realizing the roles were usually reversed. Prue looked concerned even when she was sleeping.

_How can I make things any harder for her_, Paige thought sadly, brushing Prue's hair gently out of her face. _All she does is take care of me and all I can do to thank her is just make things more complicated._ Paige kneeled down to kiss Prue's cheek.

"I'm sorry Prue," she whispered to her sister's unresponsive form, biting her lip to keep tears from falling.

She walked to the bathroom and held her head in her hands as she sat on the toilet, trying to get herself to stop shaking. She couldn't help the guilt and anxiety that washed over her the second she woke up. This is why she hated to be alone with her emotions, she needed somebody with her always to distract her. Here she was in the most magical place on earth, and yet the whole trip was tainted by the secret she was keeping to herself that would almost certainly tear her family apart once spoken out loud.

Getting up to wash her hands, Paige looked curiously in the mirror at her wet, flushed face. "You have to stop getting this way," she whispered to her young, vulnerable face sternly, as if big Paige were chastising the little girl she had become. "You aren't a baby. You have to be strong and protect your sisters. You need them, you can't let them leave you."

The thought of her sisters abandoning her was enough to get the tears started again. _Enough with the crying! You are in Disney World_, she reminded herself. _Just keep trying to pretend everything is alright. You can do better._

Feeling a little better after deprecating herself, the small girl shut the bathroom door quietly and carefully climbed back into bed with Prue, grateful that she only had to worry about waking one sister up since Phoebe and Piper were sleeping in the next room of their suite, which had two double beds. Paige managed a smile, thinking about how nobody wanted to share with Phoebe since she was a kicker. She loved her partner in crime, her closest in age sister. She couldn't hurt her the way telling would.

Busy with her thoughts, Paige lay wide awake, wishing she could turn on the TV to help lull herself back to sleep. She knew she would be exhausted in the morning, given Prue's hintings at an early wake-up, but she was too preoccupied now to just fall back asleep. She temporarily thought about waking Prue up, but didn't want to deal with the fussing that would follow. She wanted to be able to give her big sister at least one night off anyway.

Paige curled herself deeper into the fluffy white sheets and wedged herself up against Prue, resting her head on her big sister's shoulder for comfort. Prue instinctively pulled her closer, though she was fast asleep, and Paige clutched the hem of Prue's shirt between her fingers, rhythmically rubbing it to sooth herself, a new habit among her battery of odd behaviors that helped shut out the dark places in her mind.

Closing her eyes lightly, Paige tried to focus on the soft cotton in her hands and not the anxiety that was making her feel more restless by the minutes. She gently told herself that everything was okay, repeating the words usually spoken by her sisters, until she gradually dozed off again into a light sleep.

However, it only lasted a few minutes, as Paige was once again woken up by the sound of Piper creeping out of her room and coming over to Prue.

Paige lay still, keeping her eyes shut tight, feigning sleep, curious as to what Piper was doing and not wanting to interrupt.

Piper shook Prue lightly, and Paige felt Prue startle a little under her, but she tried to stay still, hoping her sisters would think she was asleep. Paige had a feeling she was about to be given a rare opportunity to eavesdrop and didn't want to screw it up.

"Hi Piper," Prue said, pulling her arm gently out from under Paige to rub her eyes. "Morning already?"

Piper smirked and whispered, "Not quite. Remember that I wanted to talk to you about Paige, in private?"

Prue nodded in understanding. "I wanted to talk to you too. Clever idea picking the middle of the night when the little ones are sleeping."

Prue looked over to Paige, who was trying really hard to appear peacefully unconscious. "Yup, definitely knocked out. For once."

Paige nuzzled deeper into the blankets to hide her face, which bore a guilty smile.

Piper eyed Paige curiously, and then laughed softly herself. "Yup, fast asleep. Thankfully. I guess this trip is good for something after all. How long are we staying again?"

Prue slowly stood up from the bed, checking Paige again, intent so it seemed on making sure she didn't her wake up, though the effort was futile. "4 days or so. I think that'll be the longest we can last before demon stuff starts cropping back up. Let's go into the living room," she said, leading Piper away from the bed. "The last thing we need is for either of them to wake up and cut this conversation short."

Piper agreed and followed Prue into the other room, causing Paige's ears to pique. She listened until their footsteps died down and realized that their voices would be way too muffled for her to hear clearly in the next room. Paige allowed herself to quietly rise from the bed and crawl over to the wall dividing her room in the suite from the main sitting area, keeping low to the ground so as not to be seen. She creeped her head around the wall quickly, and seeing that she was pretty much out of her sisters' view, she proceeded to lay down on all fours on the hotel carpet, to patiently listen to her older sisters' conversation.

Piper and Prue sat facing each other in huge comfy armchairs, faces illuminated softly by the one end table lamp they had decided to turn on. They were both quiet for a minute, not sure who should start or how really to begin this conversation.

"Did, uh, something happen with Paige when I was wandering the hotel with Phoebe earlier?," Prue asked, trying not to let on her suspicions about what she thought Paige was hiding just yet.

_No_, Paige thought to herself, hoping the discussion would die quickly

"Well, actually, yes," Piper replied, much to Paige's dismay. It took everything in her to stay quiet and not jump up and argue. Damn adolescent impulsivity. "She started asking me weird questions, like what would I do if she hurt Phoebe badly. I couldn't really get much out of her, but she is definitely hiding something. I'm worried about her."

"Hm," Prue said curiously, "She started the same thing with me the other night after her last episode. I don't know what she saw, but whatever it was freaked her the fuck out. There is only one reason I could think of though that she would all of the sudden be worried about hurting Phoebe, if you catch my drift."

Piper frowned, "Not following, big sis."

Prue sighed. This was always a sore spot with her sisters. It was no secret that she disliked Cole, while Piper's feelings had always been a bit more neutral towards the guy, for Phoebe's sake. Piper knew what it was like to have to fight for love, so she had a lot of sympathy for Phoebe's saga. Prue, not so much.

"Prue?," Piper pressed, "Spill."

"I'm talking about Cole. I mean, isn't it obvious?," Prue began rambling, "I tried to get Paige to confess that he was the one who took her but she wouldn't talk about it. She's terrified. Phoebe has barely seen him in weeks and everybody knows most kidnappings are done by a friend or relative. The whole thing just reeks of Balthazar."

Paige felt her body tense at the mention of Cole's name. The confidence with which Prue made her case nauseated Paige a bit. It meant she had done a pretty shitty job hiding the truth, making her culpable in what she saw as the imminent downfall of her family.

"I, well, I don't know Prue," Piper replied, much to Prue's dismay and to Paige's disappointment. She had known her sisters wouldn't believe her. "I mean, we've known Cole a long time. He loves Phoebe, why would he want to hurt Paige?"

"Um, he's a _demon_? Is there every any other reason? God Piper, does evil ever follow the rules of logic? Why does anybody ever want to hurt our family!," Prue responded, anger evident in her voice

"Okay Prue, calm down," Piper said softly, trying to settle her big sister. "I'm just saying that Paige hasn't exactly been the most honest kid lately and she doesn't really seem to have a good handle on the difference between reality and fiction. It's possible this could just be another ploy for attention or an easy way for her to target the whole mess of emotions she's feeling. It's worth considering before we go in for a vanquish and break Phoebe's heart."

Paige felt her lip wobbling in her little corner and couldn't help the tiny gasp that escaped her. She felt like she was being stabbed by Piper's words.

Prue, lost in her own thought continued, "I understand Piper but I just have a bad feeling….Piper?," she questioned, noticing Piper's eyes weren't focused on hers, but rather the doorway behind her.

Turning to meet her sister's gaze, she couldn't miss the mess of black curls that was gone in a second, as Paige, realizing she had been found despite her best efforts, leaped up and cocooned herself in the bed again. Maybe her sisters would think they were hallucinating and just leave her be.

Piper and Prue hurried over to the bed where Paige was now lumped. Piper felt terrible about doubting Paige to her face, knowing how insecure her baby sister was, and Prue was irritated that she wasn't sleeping once again when she was supposed to. She had gone through with this trip hoping to alleviate the problems looming on the horizon for her family, yet they were rearing their ugly heads all too soon.

"Paigey," Prue soothed, pulling the covers away from her sister's head to reveal a girl trying very hard to pretend to be sleeping "It's alright. We aren't mad at you for listening in."

Paige opened her eyes and scowled at her big sisters.

"Oh, but clearly you are." Prue replied, trying not to laugh at her sister's ridiculousness "Do you want to talk to me and Piper? If you heard our whole conversation, which we know you did, you know we're worried about you. You don't have to hide what's going on from us."

Paige, still refusing to speak, turned over so she was face down on the pillows, indicating her refusal to talk.

Prue looked to Piper, who she felt was more responsible for this breakdown, given her lack of certainty that Paige was indeed attacked by Cole. They needed to stop this before it got out of hand and woke Phoebe up, halting their trip before it even really started.

"Peanut," Piper cajoled, turning Paige over who promptly stuck her thumb in her mouth, left with no other defense to prevent this discussion. She was screwed whether she confirmed Prue's suspicions or denied them, as Piper would prefer. She risked either her family's unity or her own sanity.

Prue couldn't surpress her laughs this time.

"You'll just encourage her," Piper scolded, pulling Paige's thumb out of her mouth. "C'mon Paige, be a big girl about this. Talk to us."

This got Paige angry. Which always got her to speak up.

"How can I talk to you?" Paige wailed, unable to stop the flow of words now that she had decided to open her mouth. "You think I'm confused and that I don't know what happened to me and maybe I am, but I'm not a liar! I just want our family to stay together. I'm really, really scared"

Paige buried her head in her arms, avoiding her sister's gazes, irritated that they so easily got her to basically confirm Prue's suspicions. She left it vague, sure, but she knew how they would read it.

Piper and Prue exchanged a telling glance. "I told you so," Prue mumbled in Piper's ear. Piper was ashamed for denying Prue's claims because even though she wasn't 100% sure that Paige was right, she couldn't deny the lucid look in her eyes when she described her feelings.

Now that the two oldest had a chance to figure out what was really bugging Paige, they both felt better prepared to stop the fallout that both Prue and Paige were terrified was imminent. Piper was the family's natural peacemaker. If anyone could be the buffer that saved their family trip, it was her. It was all a matter of making sure that Phoebe didn't find out that her entire family was on track to vanquish the love of her life.

Prue yawned and Piper looked at her knowingly. "We should go to bed, we only have like 3 hours until we need to get up again. Sorry to wake you both," she said, kissing Prue's cheek and leaning down to kiss Paige too. "I don't think you're a liar, baby," she reassured Paige, "We just need to be sure about this."

Paige nodded in understanding, exhausted by this turn of events and hugged Piper. The three sisters admittedly all felt better getting their worries out in the open, even though it had to occur in the middle of the night.

"See you tomorrow sisters," Piper called, as she tiptoed back into her shared room with Phoebe, who was, thankfully, still completely out.

Prue climbed back into bed, scooping Paige up into her lap and holding her there, stroking her hair softly, trying to get her to go back to sleep. When Piper and her had planned to wake up and talk, they had really wanted to make sure the two youngest had stayed out of it, but Paige always made things a bit unpredictable. Now Prue was worried they were going to have a very cranky Paige on their hands again tomorrow, who in the Florida heat was bound to melt down, in public no less.

"I love you Prue," Paige whispered as she felt her eyes close, both relieved and surprised that her sisters had figured her out and were planning to side with her, "Thank you for believing me."

Prue shushed her and planted a kiss on her forehead, drifting back into sleep herself. "See you bright and early princess. We'll see how much you thank me then"


	24. Chapter 24

**I am uploading 2 chapters to this story at once, so note that Chapter 23 is also new and read that (and the Author's note on top of it), before you read this. Hope you like this chapter, which is basically shenanigans galore.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Disney and any related characters.**

"Goooood morning," Prue cheerfully exclaimed, opening the curtains of the sisters' hotel room to reveal the brilliant Florida sunshine that brightened their resort. "Wake up, little sisters. We have places to go, people to see."

Paige, surprisingly, rushed out of bed with a huge grin on her face. Even though her sleep had been interrupted last night, she felt incredibly well-rested and ready to start the day.

"Ooo, somebody's eager," Prue teased and Paige rushed her, knocking her eldest sister onto a fluffy couch.

"Ouch! Paige!," Prue screamed, pulling her sister off of her. "That's a little too eager!"

Paige laughed as Prue began to wrestle her with mock aggression. Prue was a morning person so she was pretty much set once she had her cup of coffee, which she had conveniently brewed in the room before waking the others up. She was happy to see that at least one of her sisters was ready for fun too.

"Piper! Phoebe!" Prue called, "We have a surprise to get to so if I were you I'd start moving!"

As if on cue, Piper emerged from her room with a groan. "Morning people are the worst," she grumbled, as Prue handed her a cup of coffee, which was much needed after the lack of sleep she had gotten over her worrying the night before. "This tastes like shit, you know"

Prue shrugged, "Well, we can try to get something better, if we ever get out of here. Has Phoebe not budged at all?"

"Nope" Piper replied with a smirk, "And to think we were worried about waking her last night. That girl could sleep through a nuclear war."

"I have a solution!," Paige announced, as she bolted into the other room before either of her older sisters could warn her of what would come of giving Phoebe a rough wakeup.

Paige jumped up onto the double bed where her sister lay upside down, due to her chronic movement tossing and turning.

"Phoebe!," Paige shouted gleefully as she jumped up and down with full force, "Phoeeeeeeebeeee! Get up!"

Phoebe moaned pathetically, and swatted Paige's legs aggressively. "Stop it, you little asshole!" she screeched, trying to burrow back into the sheets, "Let me sleep more. Not everybody takes 50 naps a day like you."

"I do not!" Paige pouted bouncing into a sitting position next to her sister's head "Anyway, don't you want to find out the surprise?"

"Not particularly," Phoebe groaned, completely disinterested in her younger sister's antics at such an ungodly hour. "What time is it anyway?"

"7:30 on the dot" Prue chirped happily, walking into the room with Piper as the phone began to ring. Piper went over to the nightstand to answer it.

"Who was it?" Paige asked curiously, noticing the goofy grin on Piper's face as she hung up.

"Believe it or not, it was Mickey Mouse himself wishing us a good morning and a magical day. Can't argue with that now, can you Pheebs?"

Phoebe remained unresponsive, so Paige pulled the covers up, exposing her feet, and began to lightly tickle the bottoms.

Phoebe's body contorted exaggeratedly as a result, sending her shooting out of bed and her sisters into a fit of laughter.

"Okay, okay, I get the point!" She shouted, glaring at Paige, who innocently came over and kissed her on the cheek

"Good morning sunshine," Paige quipped, amused. "Glad my beautiful face was the first thing you got to see this morning?"

"Be quiet you," Phoebe moaned, pushing Paige's face away lightly. As she moved to get out of bed, she groaned once more.

"My whole body hurts," she whined, rubbing her tender feet dramatically. "There is too much walking here. Dibs on the wheelchair first today."

"No wheelchair," Paige argued, crossing her arms firmly.

Prue narrowed her eyes at her youngest sister, knowing she just had to be difficult. "We'll see about that little missy. Now come on everybody, get yourselves looking like real people. I'm going to run down to the desk and grab our t-shirts!" she continued with an excited little clap.

Piper rolled her eyes. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

In record time for the Halliwell sisters, especially given the fact that they all were sharing a bathroom, all four were ready to go for the day. They headed down to the enormous lobby and got on line for one of the busses that would transport them to their destination.

"Gee Prue, could you have been any cheesier with these shirts?," Phoebe said, pulling the white v-neck that displayed a picture of all the Disney princesses and "Halliwell Family Vacation" in pink lettering, with each of the sister's names on the back.

Piper snorted. "Yeah, for feminist ass-kicking witches, princesses were an interesting choice."

"Well, if you don't like them, too bad." Prue retorted with a grin. "I think they are cute and that you all look adorable in them, especially Paige. Also, this way none of us can get lost."

"This may _encourage_ my getting lost," Phoebe noted, but seeing Prue's glare added a lighthearted laugh. "Just kidding…sort of," she added under her breath once Prue looked away

"What do you think Paige," Prue said, hoping her littlest sister would indulge her.

"Well, uh," Paige began, not really sure what to say. Sure they were a little juvenile, but it was kind of fun that they were all matching. Where else would that be socially acceptable? "I actually like them a lot," she decided with a grin.

Prue lifted her up into a bear hug and twirled her a bit. "This is why you're my favorite," she sang as Paige blushed intensely.

"People are staring _Prue_,_" _Paige said through her grin, and Prue promptly put her down and brushed herself off, noticing the throngs of tourists eyeing the strange group of sisters.

"What have you never seen happy sisters before, jeesh," Piper remarked, in her signature snarky tone. "Back to your own families, people."

Anybody who was staring quickly looked away.

"Be nice, Piper," Phoebe admonished, "This is a friendly place."

Piper was about to roll her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time already that morning when the bus pulled up.

"Bus!" Paige called and ran to it to get on first, while her older sisters scrambled to catch up.

"Yup, this is the right one," Prue shouted after her, though unnecessary seeing as she had already boarded and found herself a seat.

"Good morning princesses," the bus driver greeted the sisters as they boarded, eliciting giggles from the group. "Bright and early day at the Magic Kingdom? That's good, beat the crowds"

"Magic Kingdom?" Paige questioned, making a face. "Again? We were just there yesterday! What kind of surprise could you possibly have for us there?"

"We're stopping in for a quick breakfast," Prue said with a wink. "We are going to dine like royalty."

Sure enough, as they exited the bus, which brought them to the park they had visited the day before, Prue escorted them up Main Street USA towards Cinderella's Castle.

"Really Prue?" Paige questioned, eyes wide with childlike wonder as she took in the sheer size of the structure before her.

"You betcha, little one." Prue said with a grin, Paige's reaction making the astronomical cost of dining with princesses worthwhile. She looked around to see Piper and Phoebe's faces as well, and though they were a less awestruck, she could tell they were also excited.

Piper took Paige's hand and Prue took Phoebe's as the four walked up the winding stairs to the restaurant after checking in. It was nice for a change to just relax and enjoy each other's company without worrying if their lives were at stake. The pure magic of Disney was a lot different than what they were used to, though they were magical beings themselves.

"Have you ever been to Disney World before, Paige?," Piper asked suddenly, realizing yet another thing they still didn't know about her.

Paige shook her head. "No, not that I remember. My family growing up wouldn't have been able to afford it. At least from what I remember. Things are fuzzy."

Piper smiled. "We haven't ever been either! Did you hear that Prue and Phoebe? We are actually getting to do a fun childhood thing together."

This made everyone happy as they were seated at their table. They felt extremely lucky that, somehow, their chance to be sisters hadn't gotten lost when Paige was given up for adoption. Although they had been through some rough times, moments where they were all together and could realize their special closeness made it all worth it.

"Why are you looking at me like that?!" Paige exclaimed, seeing Prue gazing at her adoringly. "You're creeping me out."

Prue laughed. "I'm just appreciating you for a second. We are really lucky to have you in our lives."

"Same, I'd be lost without you all," Paige said sheepishly, embarrassed by the way her older sisters had been fawning over her. "It's really beautiful in here," she said, quickly changing the subject, taking in the high vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows.

Prue didn't miss the way Paige dismissed her, but figured it was best brought up later, as a server had just come around to take their drink order and had placed a pastry platter on their table.

"This is actually pretty cool," Phoebe admitted, as, if summoned by her words, a flurry of princesses in gorgeous gowns appeared, visiting guests at their tables and making conversation. "Oh-kay. I take that back. You know how I feel about people in costume."

"C'mon Phoebe," Prue chided, "I know the big-headed ones used to freak you out but this is Disney and the people in the suits are probably normal. Also, these princesses are just basically girls in fancy dresses so you should be fine. Besides, this is fun for Paige."

"You think this is fun, Paige?" Phoebe said, glancing over to her little sister who was merrily stuffing her face with the sugary items at the table.

Paige frowned. There was only ever one right answer when your cool big sister thought something was stupid. You just couldn't disagree. "Not particularly…," she ventured.

Prue groaned. "You two can pretend to be too good for this all you want, but I am the oldest and the leader and I say this is really fun so please, for my sake, just go with it please."

Phoebe was about to argue when she felt a foreign hand on her shoulder. Jumping up a little in surprise, she turned and saw Belle from Beauty and the Beast behind her.

"Oh, I didn't mean to startle you," the princess said in a sing-song voice. "What kingdom are you all from?"

Phoebe grimaced, clearly unamused by the visitor to their table.

"San Francisco," Paige answered with a genuine smile.

"Wow that's a long way to travel! It must have taken ages for you to get here!"

Paige shook her head, "No, only about five minutes. We're magical!"

"Paige!" Piper warned through gritted teeth. "You can't be serious."

"Oh! Magical! That must be wonderful," Belle said with a huge smile. "One day you'll have to come stay with Beast and me to teach us."

"Definitely." Paige was laughing now, especially given her sisters glares. Exposing their true identities in a place where it couldn't get them into trouble was liberating in a way.

Belle took a photo with the sisters and then moved on. Paige braced herself for a lecture from the older Halliwells, but was surprised when Prue and Piper just smiled at her.

"What?" she asked with irritation, not sure why she was under such scrutiny yet again.

"Nothing," Piper said with a laugh. "You're just really cute, that's all."

"Well, I'm not trying to be," Paige said with a pout.

"It's not a bad thing Paige," Prue said exasperated. "In fact, it's a good thing. I'm happy that you are happy."

"Oh please," said Phoebe under her breath, annoyed that somehow Paige always managed to get herself to be the center of attention. She was used to filling the role of adorable baby sister and was once again annoyed to have her toes stepped on.

The waitress came and took their orders for the main course. Everyone ordered eggs, except for Paige who ordered stuffed French toast, along with chocolate milk.

"You are out of control," Prue remarked, sipping her coffee. "That's it on the sugar today, missy."

Paige blew bubbles in her milk, ignoring her sister purposefully, knowing this was actually just the beginning of her fun for the day.

As they continued to eat, the sisters met Ariel, Aurora, Jasmine, and Cinderella. They were having fun, but Prue was losing patience with the sheer duration of the meal. She could tell that the rest of her family was getting restless too, except for sugar-high Paige who gleefully waving the plastic wand she had been given during the children's wishing ceremony in Phoebe's face, obviously mistaken for a younger age.

They got the check and Prue quickly ushered her sisters out of the restaurant, leading them back down Main Street towards the front of the park.

"Where are we going now Prue?" Piper asked, exhausted from the long walk back in the direction they came from, against the flow of huge crowds. Looking at her watch, she realized it was only 10. She was already exhausted and was sure they had a full day ahead of them.

"Off to a different park!" Prue declared. "The next one on our itinerary is Hollywood Studios."

Phoebe sighed, stretching her feet. "Do we have to walk there?"

Prue laughed, "No of course not, we are taking another bus. Let's hurry so we can get there before the crowds get worse."

Paige sulked in back of her sisters as they made their way towards the exit.

"C'mon Paige," Piper hurried, only to be met with crossed arms and a serious pout.

"Prue we have a situation," Piper warned, tapping her older sister, who was in commando mode, on the shoulder.

"What now?" Prue asked, turning around, clearly annoyed at how long it was taking them to get on with their day. She was stressed about getting everything done that they wanted to, especially since their vacation could be cut short at any moment from demon problems.

She turned to see Paige's petulant face and frowned. "Paige?"

"I don't want to leave yet!" Paige complained. "I feel like we missed a lot yesterday and we are already here so let's just stay."

"We're sticking to the plan, and that's final," Prue said, warning her little sister with her voice.

Paige stopped in her tracks, refusing to move. The sisters walked on a few steps before realizing the youngest's stubbornness.

"Paige, come on!" Phoebe yelled at her. "You're going to ruin the day."

Paige yelled back, "Its not fair that Prue just gets to make the plan and we all have to follow it without any say!"

She had a point, but it was too hot and busy for her older sisters to really care, as throngs of people pushed past them, rubbernecking the scene.

"Enough Paige!" Prue shouted, backtracking to her sister and grabbing her arm, dragging her out of the park. Piper shook her head inwardly at the situation. Paige _really_ didn't like being told what to do and was prone to lash out, especially when hot and overtired as she was.

"Let's try to get along," Piper tried, but was glared at by all parties. Paige, still resisting Prue, sat down on the floor, trying a new protest.

"This is ridiculous!" Prue shouted "I can't stand you when you get like this!," she screamed at Paige, who realized she had probably taken her behavior a step too far.

Before she could get up, Prue lifted her and threw her into a fireman's carry, despite her protests. Prue let Paige off easy for a lot of things. She knew her little sister was emotionally delayed given the unique circumstances that life had thrown at them, so she tried to be forgiving but hey, everyone has a breaking point.

With that, the four sisters finally made it to the bus, despite the unrelenting stares of strangers that were becoming all too familiar, which caused Paige to hide her face in embarrassment.

It was just another typical morning in the Halliwell family.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hope you guys enjoy this extra long chapter! I have a busy few months coming up so updates might be less frequent but hopefully I will still be able to do some!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or Disney!**

The sisters spent most of the short bus ride across Disney property in silence. Paige, who was seated next to an agitated Prue, was pouting sullenly as she looked out the window. She had to admit that she was a little bit embarrassed about her behavior, but for whatever reason, she couldn't stop herself from acting up. She didn't have the self-control that she used to, which was both frustrating and exciting. When she first met her sisters, she could never have imagined being as close with them as she was now. She was terrified in the beginning to not be the person they wanted her to be, but now that feeling was mostly gone. She couldn't stop herself from pushing her sisters' limits, not unlike her teenaged self the first time around, but in a way, it was good because it made her realize that her sisters really did love her. They always forgave her.

_At least they have so far,_ Paige sighed, staring at the green landscape as it passed by her window, as the thought of Phoebe finding out what the other three sisters knew uncomfortably found its way to the forefront of her mind. Shaking her head lightly, she tried to push past the sense of dread and guilt that swept over her yet again. It was always bad when things were too quiet, leaving Paige alone with her thoughts. If it lasted too long she was bound to slip into "the dark place," where her uncomfortably vivid, yet patchy memories of her time in the underworld lived. She knew what she had to do to stop herself from going under, even though she hated the idea of it.

Meanwhile, across the aisle, Piper and Phoebe sat together, the decidedly more civil pairing as Paige had her body turned towards the window and Prue had her arms crossed gruffly. Piper had to laugh at little at her oldest and youngest sister.

"Look at them," she whispered to Phoebe, their conversation inaudible over the bus intercom which described the various attractions available at Hollywood Studios. "They are like two peas in one stubborn Halliwell pod."

Phoebe smiled and laughed as well, noticing her sisters' body language. "They deserve each other. I just hope we end up having a good day after all of Paige's antics."

Piper sensed a hint of resentment in Phoebe's voice. She squeezed her youngest sister's hand reassuringly. "It's not always fun to be a big sister, now is it?"

Phoebe leaned her head on Piper's shoulder. "I just wish I didn't feel jealous of her." Phoebe admitted quietly, blushing a little. "She's been through hell. I really have nothing to be jealous of, it just gets hard because she is the center of Prue's world. I can't help feeling a bit forgotten."

Piper nodded in understanding, taking note to tell Prue to give Phoebe a little bit of extra attention, so the youngest two wouldn't end up in a fight. "I know sweetie. But you are still our baby sister, whether or not you are sharing the spotlight with Paige. Just remember that Paige needs us a little bit more right now. All of us, including you. She lost out on 22 years with us, we owe her a little."

Phoebe frowned a bit, knowing Piper couldn't understand how she felt. She and Prue were best of friends, always had been, always would be. Nobody would take Piper's place, but Phoebe kind of felt uncomfortably pushed aside in the sister dynamic. There just didn't seem to be room for two baby sisters, because no matter what, Paige would always come before her, something that unsettled Phoebe deeply.

"Maybe I just have unsettled sibling rivalry from when I was seven," Phoebe muttered quietly to herself, noticing that Piper had begun to flick through the pictures on her camera, clearly disengaged with her younger sister's concerns. She loved Paige, she knew she really did, but thinking back to when they had both been turned into children just a few months before, sent a wave of envy surging through her heart. As a budding psychologist, this intrigued Phoebe deeply, but she didn't have much time to self-reflect as the sound of her youngest sister's voice once again distracted her.

"I'm sorry Prue!" Paige practically shouted at her oldest sister, who still seemed annoyed. "I just don't want to miss out on anything."

Prue sighed. "It's alright, I guess. I just want you to behave. It makes me upset when I go out of the way to do nice things for you and you act like a spoiled brat."

Paige winced. Prue's tone was the perfect combination of hurt and authority. She looked at her other sisters to see Phoebe smirking and Piper nodding in agreement with Prue. Paige cast her eyes down at her sandaled feet, which didn't quite touch the bus floor, in a show of apology. She really did feel bad about embarrassing her sisters, just not _that_ bad. In reality, she thought Prue had overreacted a bit.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you guys. Sorry Piper, sorry Phoebe. I'll try to act better."

Prue still didn't seem to forgive her, so Paige looked up at her with big puppy dog eyes. Paige finally saw her older sister's face soften and felt a comforting arm around her shoulders, as Prue pulled her in for a squeeze. Paige could finally relax a little, now that her big sister to whom she was so completely attached was happy with her again.

"We can try to go back later in the week to the Magic Kingdom, okay?" Prue said, ultimately giving in to Paige. Paige gave her a big smile, which Prue returned.

"Oh please, get a room." Phoebe said with an eye roll, unable to contain her exasperation anymore. "You are going to let her off that easy?"

Prue gave her a look, and Piper placed a warning hand on her shoulder.

"She apologized Phoebe, let it go." Piper said, trying to diffuse the situation. It would be bad news if Phoebe and Paige starting fighting, considering the current state of affairs.

Phoebe frowned, but shut up. She didn't have much time to dwell on it anyway as the bus pulled up to the park.

The sisters thanked the bus driver and hopped off to explore their new surroundings. As they passed through the ticketing lines, Paige attempted to bound ahead of her sisters, but Prue caught her.

"Paige, you can't be running away from us. We are here to be together. Phoebe's right, I am letting you off easy but not with just an apology. For today, you are going to have to hold any of our hands while we walk, like a little kid, because clearly that's how you act," Prue stated firmly.

"But Prue," Paige whined, only to be ignored as Prue gave her a look. "This is embarrassing. Piper, tell her its embarrassing."

Piper just shrugged. "You didn't care about embarrassing us earlier."

"Phoebe," Paige practically begged, hoping at least one sister would be rational, but Phoebe just laughed.

"You got yourself into this mess, squirt. I can't get you out of it."

Paige sighed and put out her hand to let Prue take it. She knew she was stuck with this one, and figured her sisters would probably eventually let her go once their hands got too sweaty. It was, after all, 90 degrees.

"Thank you for cooperating, Paigey," Prue said. "And if you get tired later, we will see about a wheelchair but for now I think you are okay to walk."

Paige rolled her eyes, but just went along with it. She had to try to keep the peace after her earlier behavior.

The sisters entered the park and stopped by its central marker, Mickey's Sorcerer Hat to get their bearings.

"Where to first?" Prue asked, and the sisters each consulted their shiny park maps. Their family rule for the trip was that each sister got to take a turn picking a ride, and that everyone had to try each ride that their sisters picked at least once.

This didn't sit well with Paige, since she hated most roller coasters after an unfortunate childhood incident that started with her stuck upside down for an hour and ended with her favorite outfit covered in puke. Paige shuddered inwardly at the thought but hoped for the best. There didn't seem to be many rides like that at Disney, so she hoped for the best.

"Whose turn is it to pick?" asked Piper, unable to remember where they left off the day before because of Paige's fainting episode.

"Yours!" Phoebe declared firmly, knowing Piper probably had not picked anything they rode yesterday, given her easygoing nature.

Piper smiled. She rarely got to go first in family things, being stuck in the middle for most of her life. "Let's do the Tower of Terror."

* * *

The sisters had been standing in line for the Tower of Terror for a half-hour, which traversed them through the gardens and the lobby of the creepily, dilapidated building.

Paige was shivering, but not because she was cold. She didn't like the weird look that the ride attendant, dressed like an old hotel bellhop, gave her. Moreover, she didn't like the small room that they were currently being stuffed in, which quickly turned pitch black.

Prue held tightly to Paige's hand, feeling her quiver, but not paying much attention since she was so enjoying the themeing. Piper and Phoebe were enjoying it too, as Prue could hear them giggling in the darkness behind them.

Phoebe creeped up behind Paige, whose back was turned and grabbed her shoulders, causing the younger girl to jump forward in fear.

"Phoebe, that wasn't nice." Prue admonished, though giggling at the prank. Paige kicked Phoebe's feet and then stepped to Prue's other side, annoyed that her sister was bothering her.

A black and white movie about The Twilight Zone came on, chronicling the disappearance of people who stayed in this very "hotel," and the sisters were finally ushered into a ride car, which looked like an old elevator shaft.

"I don't want to do this," whimpered Paige, clutching Prue's hand desperately. "I want to go off."

"Paige, you know the rule," Prue said with a wink, thinking her baby sister was just being a tad dramatic. She knew Paige would come around if she gave it a chance.

It seemed out of character, but Paige was not a thrill seeker. She unhappily saw the doors to the ride car close, confining her again to a too tight space that threatened to send her pummeling into a flashback. She tried to stay grounded in reality though, and realize that, for the most part, she was safe.

The ride shot them up and dropped them down several times, causing the sisters to scream happily. Paige actually ended up enjoying the experience, much to her surprise.

"That was actually pretty fun," Paige admitted as they walked off the ride.

"Are you kidding!" Phoebe cried gleefully, "That was amazing! I can't believe we wasted so much time on boring kiddie rides yesterday when there's this kind of stuff around."

Paige stuck her tongue out at Phoebe, noticing the dig, and Phoebe laughed at her. "Now that you saw this kind of thing can be fun, you have to stop being such a baby about it. I heard you cry to Prue that you wanted to get off the line."

"Did not!" Paige denied, even though it was a blatant lie. Her sisters just smirked at her. "Okay, maybe I did."

"Well, I'm glad we had that warm-up sisters, as it is now my turn to pick," Phoebe said with a smile. "And I choose…The Rockin' Roller Coaster."

Paige groaned, but without a choice, was dragged by her older sisters onto yet another thrill ride. She thought though, that maybe she could actually face her fear and do it.

* * *

As they waited in line with the hoards of other tourists, Paige became more and more anxious. She was listening to the conversation of the family in front of them, which consisted of two parents and their sons, who were around 10 or 12.

"This roller coaster is totally in the dark," the mother told her kids. "You're going to love it."

"Does it go upside down?" the younger boy asked, excitement clear on his face.

"Oh yeah," the older one said with enthusiasm, tugging on his baseball cap.

Paige bit her lip. This was not going to be good. She tugged on Piper's shirt to get her attention.

"I need to get off line," Paige stated firmly.

Piper raised an eyebrow. "May I ask why?"

"Um, I uh, need to go to the bathroom," Paige tried with a strange smile. Piper looked even more skeptical.

"We're almost at the front. You can probably hold it," Prue interjected.

Paige frowned. "Why do you guys care so much if I go on anyway? It's just a stupid ride," she said, trying to sound confident.

"Paige, we all know you are trying to get out of it because you are scared," Phoebe pointed out.

"I am not!" Paige retorted, knowing she was stuck.

"Also, you just did this on the other line and you ended up liking it, so you might as well give it a try," Prue pointed out.

"We're riding it and we're just little kids," the boy in the baseball cap butted in.

Paige sighed. It was no use. She couldn't catch a break from anyone. She would just have go with it and hope for the best.

As they stepped into the ride car, Piper noticed that Paige was shaking, and began to feel a little bit bad about peer pressuring her into riding something that she was clearly afraid of.

It was a little too late though to act on these feelings though, as they were already strapped into their seats and ready to go. Piper just nervously hoped that this wouldn't ruin the rest of the day, as she sat in her seat and pulled her harness down tight.

Paige shuddered as she heard her overhead restraint click into place. She knew she was very literally stuck from this point on. Piper, who was next to her, turned to her with a smile.

"Is it tight enough? Are you comfortable?" she asked Paige, making sure her little sister would be alright.

Paige didn't have time to answer.

In an instant, they were shot out at full blast, at which point Paige began screaming, not in excitement, but in sheer terror, which continued even after the ride came to a complete stop.

Prue and Phoebe, who had been sitting next to each other, were surprised to find that it was their very own sister who had been the one causing the noise that had lasted the entire ride.

Piper helped her little sister out of the ride and pulled her into a reassuring hug to get her to calm down.

"You made it!" Piper said with a grin, looking at Paige whose face was paler than usual. "Are you okay?"

Paige just ran to the nearest garbage can and puked up her entire, expensive breakfast. Sitting down, helplessly trying to ward off the dizziness that was consuming her, Paige closed her eyes and felt hot tears pouring down her face.

Prue, Piper, and Phoebe caught up to Paige just in time to see her get sick.

"Oh shit," Prue mumbled, rushing over to help Paige up off the ground to the nearest bench. She felt like a horrible big sister and hundreds of strangers' looks only reinforced the feeling.

"Paige, why didn't you tell us that you get motion sick?" Prue asked, exasperated.

"We wouldn't have made you go on if we knew you would have a bad reaction like this," Piper confirmed.

Paige wiped her eyes and looked at her sisters accusingly. "You guys made that dumb rule and I didn't want to have to ruin your fun by making one of you miss out or have to ride alone. I told you guys yesterday though that I don't do roller coasters, and I'm sure you wouldn't either if you had gotten stuck on one for an hour and barfed upside down."

"Barfed…upside down?" Prue questioned, confused.

"Yes, when I was in high school, at a local fair. That was the last time-well until today-that I rode something like this," Paige explained.

Phoebe giggled. "I'm sorry, that is just too funny. I can imagine it." Phoebe couldn't stop herself from dissolving into a fit of laughter.

"I think I remember hearing about that from people I knew," Piper said, with surprise. "I can't believe you're the "Vom-pire."

Phoebe's laughter became even louder now, realizing that it was her own little sister who had gained such notoriety when they were previously teenagers. Even though Paige didn't attend Baker High, she attended the next school over, so some of the Halliwell's neighbors had gone to school with her. She wondered how long it had taken Paige to live down that name, which had come from a combination of the fact that she was in a goth phase at the time and had puked hanging in the air, like a bat presumably would.

Prue tried to suppress her own laughs, but couldn't quite control it and ended up snorting.

Paige glared at her older sisters, unhappy to be the butt of their jokes. People only stopped teasing her about that incident after her mom and dad died, because it would have been plain cruel to harass an orphan.

"Just be happy that I didn't barf on you guys today. Also, if the car accident that killed your parents sent you speeding and turning in the air, you probably wouldn't want to relive it either on a supposedly fun ride." Paige continued, as the punishing dizziness turned her vision dark, causing her to press gently on her eyelids.

This stopped Phoebe's laughter and caused Piper and Prue to share a look. They hadn't thought about that part of Paige's past in a while. They realized that they should have probably taken more time to treat Paige's feelings as legitimate and not blow her off. She was really sensitive and while teasing her was fun for all of the older girls, they knew when they had pushed their little one too hard.

"We're sorry baby sis," Prue apologized, hugging Paige. " We should have listened better and it probably didn't help that you just got over being sick a few days ago. We won't make you ride anything like this again unless you want to, okay?"

"Okay," Paige agreed with a nod, finally calming down enough to catch her breath and stop crying.

"We'll just try to take it easy with the thrill rides from now on, since the whole point of this trip is to do things together," Prue said definitively.

Piper agreed, but Phoebe was busy searching their backpack for something. It was better anyway that she wasn't paying attention, since she would probably freak out if she knew their ride choices were about to become limited.

Piper ran over to a concession stand and got Paige some water while Phoebe joined Prue and Paige on the bench, looking at her park map.

"Well, lucky for you squirt, its your turn to pick," Phoebe noted, crossing off the attractions they had visited. "What ever will you choose?"

Paige took the park map from her sister's hand. "I have somewhat of an idea…."


End file.
